


Blue Eyed Envy and Red Haired Jealousy

by WitchyWriter



Category: Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Actual Arguing, Canon-Typical Behavior, Coffee Shop AU But Make It Traumatizing, Dialogue Heavy, Emotional Sex, First Time, Fluff, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Light Smut, M/M, POV Third Person, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Post QoTD, RIP Their Couch, Rape Recovery, Redemption, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, petty arguing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23722747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchyWriter/pseuds/WitchyWriter
Summary: Lestat and Louis are settling back into being together after a long time apart. But when they're finally ready to take it step further, a familiar friend stops by and turns their life on its head. Can old habits and petty grievances separate them once again? Or will this test of wills bring them all closer together?
Relationships: Armand & Lestat de Lioncourt, Armand & Louis de Pointe du Lac, Armand/Daniel Molloy, Lestat de Lioncourt & Daniel Molloy, Lestat de Lioncourt/Louis de Pointe du Lac
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	1. Iced Americano

The cafe they frequented was open late, sometimes just for them if Lestat paid the manager enough. Although they had no physical need for caffeine, trying out the different flavors was almost as exciting as the buzz. Louis preferred to keep it simple with plain black French roast; the raw, earthy taste grounded him and the change in his flavor palette from the blood was always welcomed. Not being able to taste much else did get dull sometimes. Lestat however insists upon trying every flavored syrup and holiday themed drink on the menu. It’s gotten to the point that the barista left to tend to them has started coming up with new concoctions just for him. 

San Francisco for once was quiet, the shuttered bookstore and small bike shop sandwiching their beloved cafe closed around nine, and it was well past everyones bedtime in this fairly suburban part of town. The city despite its alluring neon lights and delicious nightlife wore on them now and then, monotony can easily become a dangerous side effect of living forever. This cafe since its discovery had become their safe haven, a world away from the chaotic pace of their own. It was simple and quiet; inside its tinted glass and wooden floors, nothing could touch them. Spending time together, uninterrupted by sweaty mortal bodies and the deafening quiet confines of home, had slowly grown on them both. The evenings of tense stares and petty comments have long since passed them. They were in love again, butterflies fluttered around them in the form of small smiles and trepidatious hand-holding. 

If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought them to be new-aged mortal lovers.

Lestat opened the door for Louis absentmindedly, a lingering arm around his waist being traded for heavy brass handles. The warm smell of fresh coffee filled the air and the barista, anticipating their arrival, had set to brewing some fresh French just for Louis. The familiar scent made him smile sweetly as he walked in, he liked being thought of. 

“What’s the Frankenstein for this evening mademoiselle?” Lestat asked, sauntering up to the front counter. The cafe was empty except for the three of them, the street outside lay dormant. 

The barista smiled and placed two mugs between them, one filled with Louis’ midnight meal and the other swirling with white foam and various drizzles. “I call this one, ‘Dulce de Leche Avalanche!’” 

She’s very pleased with herself, pride beaming from her face as Lestat brings the mug to his lips, closes his eyes and inhales deeply. “Cinnamon…lots of caramel….is there toffee at the bottom?” 

“Yeah! How did you guess? I made sure to hide it with the cream.” 

He flashes one of his charming grins and slides her standard $100 tip across the counter, a small favor for putting up with them, “You’ve yet to beat me darling! One of these nights you’ll get me with a wild card.” 

Louis waits expectantly at their favorite table in the corner of the shop, watching the entire exchange with a sense of fondness. He loved observing Lestat when he thought no one was, his devil could be so soft when he wanted to be. When Lestat grew attached to someone, as rare as it was, he exhibited a certain paternal protectiveness over them. She may not know it, but Lestat loved that barista and would kill anyone who came to harm her; if they ever got that close to her to begin with.

They smiled instantly when their eyes met as Lestat turned away from the counter, coffee in hand and quickly looking down to ensure he doesn’t spill anything. 

“Have you bested her again?” Louis asked, taking his mug into his hands and relishing in the heat it gave off. Although they fed before arriving, the warmth from the blood was never quite enough.

Lestat laughed and reclined deeply in his chair, his back to the front door and eyes solely on his lover, “Of course I have, although she almost got me tonight! Toffee bits under the cream, she’s getting more clever everyday.”

“Yes she is, but have you not the heart to tell her that you don’t like caramel?” Louis sipped at his drink and eyed the other mug, whipped cream slipping down the side and a pool of caramel sinking slowly to the bottom. “Let alone that much!” 

“The poor girl comes up with these solely for me, the least I can do is give them a try.” He looked down and shuddered slightly at the sight of so much caramel before eventually chugging half of the drink. Louis watched his eyes go wide as he gently placed the mug back onto the table and pushed it away, “I have concluded that I do not like this one.” 

They both let out a loud, genuine laugh and met in the middle of the small table, clasping their hands together and leaning in as close as possible.

“Who would’ve thought that heaven would be in a place like this.” Louis said quietly, almost embarrassed as he looked around. It was nothing special, truly modest for a place inside the borders of San Francisco. A few tables and chairs dotted the wood floors, the bake case and coffee machines taking up most of the space behind the long counter. Paintings and small personal pictures took up every open spot on the walls, a lifetime could be followed in the frames. Floor to ceiling windows showed the world outside, the large sweet bay tree across the street taking up most of the view besides the quiet street. They never saw it when it was busy though, if they were lucky, they would only be accompanied by a lonely college student visibly shaking from caffeine and bag-rimmed eyes. Pity alone prevented them from approaching these mortals, they had enough going on from the looks of it. 

Lestat followed Louis’ eyes, taking in the quaint cafe and its minimalism, “Heaven? Hardly. I would call it our place of peace.”

“Is that not heaven?”  
  
“Heaven isn’t real my darling, but peace is something only one who’s experienced pure chaos can appreciate. If you can find it in a person and also a place, you’re the luckiest man alive. I have you and I have wherever you are, so right now, this is our place of peace.”

Louis smiled softly, in no mood to argue the fundamentals and implications of what was just said and leaned over the table to place a gentle kiss on Lestat’s forehead. As he settled back into his seat, the front door swung open, a small golden bell alerting the barista of a new customer. 

“Oh sir, we’re closing up soon. Did you want a to-go order?”

“That’s fine madam, one iced americano if you don’t mind.” The voice made them both stop cold. Louis, being the one facing the door, had the joy of seeing just where it came from. His eyes grew wide with surprise as he quickly looked back to his drink in front of him. Lestat didn’t have to look, he knew exactly who it belonged to and had felt him just as they had gotten settled. He had hoped however, that they would be left alone for the evening. 

“Louis? Lestat? Is that you? Oh what a lovely surprise this is!” The small frame took his iced drink from the counter and slid a $50 to the barista, who disappeared again into the back room.

They both sighed and turned to their company, “Armand, what a lovely surprise indeed. How are you?” Louis mustered, the steady irritation rising from Lestat becoming clear in the painfully tightening grip of his hand.

“I’ve been wonderful, thank you for asking,” Armand snaked an arm around Louis’ shoulders and planted customary kisses on his cheeks. “You look quite lovely tonight Louis, is that cologne?” 

Lestat quickly piped up, he knew the game that was being played; it hadn’t changed in two hundred years. “It’s mine, I’m glad you like it.”

Armand laughed, not looking away from Louis and making no attempt at giving Lestat similar affections, “It’s quite nice to see you too Lestat, I hope all is well.”

“All was well before-“ 

Louis cleared his throat and threw a wary glance in Lestat’s direction, who in response rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. It took no more than two seconds for the oldest of the three to pull up a chair directly in between them, sipping casually at his drink and looking around. 

“This is quite the place you two have discovered, I was just in the neighborhood looking for a bite when I saw you through the window and just _had _to come and say hello! Such a rarity to stumble upon others so casually.” Armand chuckled and placed a delicate hand on Louis’ , tracing small circles and not breaking eye contact. Lestat watched this and felt the pure stress of Armand’s presence creeping into his spine.__

__Through gritted teeth, Lestat pulled his chair around the table to be right next to Louis and quietly ignored Armand’s furrowing brows, “Yes, such a rarity indeed. What business do you have in this part of town? It’s hardly an active spot for a drive-in meal.” A firm arm wrapped around Louis’ shoulders and pulled him slightly away from the smaller vampire._ _

__“You know how I like to wander, say Louis, have you done your hair differently? It looks lovely!” He felt a hand brush the back of his head and another swat it away._ _

__It made him extremely uncomfortable to be caught in the middle of this battle of affections. Though Louis had gotten more than used to it over the decades. As he knew Armand never truly was in the spirit of sweeping him away from his lover, he was more than happy with Daniel; but the game of riling Lestat up was just too good to give up. They both in their hearts were petty children and Lestat’s protective nature always got the better of his logic in situations such as this._ _

__Despite its discomfort on his part, it was always an interesting game to watch._ _

__“Yes, I decided to see how an ‘undercut’ as they call it would look, I like the feeling more than the style I think.” Louis wiggled from under Lestat’s grip and leaned back slightly, their eyes were in a cross fire from the two sides of the table and he didn’t want to get caught in the middle. Although, he already was._ _

__Armand reached out and turned Louis’ head to the side with just a gentle push of his chin, “Well, I think it looks marvelous. You have the face to pull off just about anything Louis, wouldn’t you agree Lestat?” Armand looked as though he wanted to eat Louis alive, flashing looks of seduction and approval that took little to no effort on his part in the slightest._ _

__Lestat once again swatted Armand’s hand away and pulled Louis in for a quick kiss, giving Armand a firm look all the while. “He could make Adonis weep, now you never quite answered my question. What were you up to in this neighborhood, and the truth this time.”_ _

__“Can’t a friend visit other friends? Is it such a crime to want to see you two again?”_ _

__“Is that how you treat all of your friends?” Lestat gestured to Armand’s hand on Louis’ knee.  
  
He leaned in close to the blonde’s face over Louis’ lap, “Only the one’s I’m quite fond of.” 

__“You must say that to half the immortal world then.” Lestat scoffed and slowly pushed his hand away again, this time more roughly._ _

__“I guess I do, only the luckiest can say that many people like to have you around; it’s quite a compliment really.” Armand took a slow sip of his coffee and sat back in his chair, eyeing Lestat’s irritated expression coming into full bloom._ _

__Lestat stood up quickly and attempted to drag Louis along with him, who didn’t budge an inch, “While you two are having your pissing contest, I’d like to finish my drink.” He was upset at their nice evening being ruined and more than angry with them both for putting him in the middle. Being used to such events didn’t mean that he was always fond of their egos stinking up the place._ _

__The bickering immortals made precarious eye contact as Lestat settled back into his seat. “I’m sorry to have upset you my darling.” Lestat attempted to give Louis an apologetic kiss on the cheek, but was quickly denied. “I’m sorry that this devilish imp doesn’t understand boundaries or proper respect.”_ _

__“You’re the one pushing and giving me dirty looks Lestat. Just when I thought you had grown up a little too, such a shame.”_ _

__“You’d love to know something about growing up, wouldn’t you?”_ _

__Armand was more than satisfied with his ruffling of feathers and prepared to take his leave, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his wrist. “You’re not going anywhere just yet,” Louis looked down at him with fiery green eyes, locking him with more than just his grip, “Apologize, the both of you right now. This is my one place of peace besides my library and I refuse to let it become one of uncomfortable tensions and cheap shots at my physical adoration.”_ _

__“But he-“_ _

__“Louis are you-“_ _

__Without putting down his mug, he commanded their attention with a slow raise of his hand, “I don’t want to hear it. Either trade lackluster apologies or I’ll leave you both at this table right now.”_ _

__Tails between their legs and with deep sighs, short and mumbled “I’m sorry’s” came from them both._ _

__It was an awkward goodbye, as Armand was denied a hug or customary goodbye kisses from his sought after companion and neither the blonde nor the redhead wanted to make eye contact to bid their adieu’s. The pair was alone again, with mostly empty cups and the silence once again filling the room._ _

__Lestat sighed and ran his fingers through his mess of curls, “Must you let him touch you like that? You know how much I hate him and to see you not even _try _makes we want to end his miserable life more than I usually do.”___ _

____“It doesn’t bother me. My friends are allowed to touch me like that,” Louis pulled himself into Lestat’s lap and smiled as felt his arms wrapping instinctively around him. Louis kissed him all over his face, and placed the final one on his lips, “And you are allowed to touch me like that, there’s a clear difference you know.”_ _ _ _

____“I suppose there is,” Lestat took a final swig of the caramel nightmare and stood up, “let’s get out of here before the poor girl falls asleep back there.”_ _ _ _

____Hand in hand, the pair went back out onto the quiet street, pausing after a few steps as they both felt a familiar presence nearby. Lestat immediately swept Louis off of his feet into a passionate kiss, dramatically lowering him into a dip and making eye contact with Armand in the distance._ _ _ _

____Louis, shaken but not complaining, laughed at the sudden romantic gesture, “Let’s see you do that when there isn’t a small pervert lying in wait.”_ _ _ _


	2. Four Servings of O Negative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lestat and Louis find themselves wrapped up at home after their coffee date. An unwanted pair of guests stop by and make themselves welcome, the game is once again afoot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that this series is going to have about 10 parts, spaced out every couple of days. With school and everything going on, I'll try and have everything written so no one is left hanging!

The walk home was pleasant and full of laughter, Armand had fallen off of their coattails soon after the cafe became just a fleck of light in the distance. A cool breeze coming from over the bay followed them the entire way back, causing them to clutch onto one another for warmth and making the embrace of their parlor all the more enjoyable. Small pecks, subtle words and wandering caresses set a certain mood for the evening that made both of them excited and eagerly waiting for the other to settle in. They hadn’t been seriously intimate at all through the process of their rekindling, much to Lestat’s displeasure. Louis had politely demanded that they take it slow this time, although they had seen each other in the nude on multiple occasions. To him, there was no reason to rush, it wasn’t like either of them had anywhere else to be. Lestat didn’t mind the wait, having his beloved in his arms again was just enough to keep him satisfied. 

“You wanted to see what I could do without the imp around? How about this!” Lestat gathered Louis off of his feet and into his arms, eliciting a mix of childish giggles and surprised gasps. They quickly came together at the mouth and became completely enraptured in each others touch. Louis’ hands found their way into a maze of blonde curls and pulled gently, causing Lestat to moan and laugh, deepening their kiss. Love and steadily mounting arousal grew in the air, comfortable warmth fading away and evolving into the heat of desire.

Lestat broke away breathing heavily, looking down at Louis who whined at the separation, “Do you want to- we don’t have to if you’re not ready; but I’d really-“

Louis put a soft, pale finger to his lips and stopped the rambling in an instant, “I’ve waited two hundred years for a night such as this, let’s not wait any longer.”

He couldn’t help the boyish smile that took over his face, excitement and unfamiliar anxiety filling his gut. To the stairs they went, Lestat still clutching onto Louis like his new bride with minimal effort. Just as they reached the top, with Louis buried deep in his maker’s neck and placing teasing kisses along his arteries, the sound of the doorbell erupted throughout their home. They weren’t expecting guests, so at the top of the steps they remained, hoping to God that whoever was waiting would soon go away. Another crack of the dramatic bell that Lestat insisted on getting however, shattered this prayer for them both. 

“You stay right here, I’m going to go kill whoever that is and then we can get right back to it.” Lestat whispered with bitter annoyance, which turned into love and ended with a quick kiss to Louis’ nose. He sat at the top of the stairs, equally as irritated with the interruption but grateful at the seconds to catch his breath. They had both become so caught up in the flurries of passion that they had both missed the clear bodily indication of who exactly their guests were.

Lestat’s groan could be heard throughout the house, “And what exactly do you two want?”  
  
Armand and Daniel stood on the front porch; the taller of the two trying to keep ahold of four wine glasses and the older holding three medical bags of donated blood. Armand could hardly contain his smile as he brought Lestat in, against his will, for a hug. Daniel waved awkwardly from behind him and tossed Louis a friendly smirk, he wanted to be here just as much as the two of them did.

“I truly hope we’re not imposing, but I felt so bad for my behavior at our last meeting I just had to make it up to you both.” Armand let himself in, gesturing for his fledgeling to follow. “So I brought the good stuff, fresh O negative, as a peace offering.”

Louis came down from his perch on the steps and greeted them both with two kisses to the cheek, “We appreciate the gesture, truly, but we were, um- in the middle of something.” Lestat appeared at his side and protectively slid an arm around his waist. Daniel got the hint and made an attempt to turn for the door.

“We won’t be long, just a quick drink between friends and we’ll be on our way, right Daniel?” 

Daniel was uncomfortable amongst the much older vampires, his fear of Lestat preventing him from answering beyond a shaky nod of his head. Armand had only summarized the trios complicated history, more specifically his brief fling with Louis. To his understanding, Louis had been with Armand after some break, as he called it, with Lestat. Only for them to eventually get back together in the end and have some weird on-again off-again relationship. This didn’t bother him, much to Armand’s relief. He was confident in their own relationship and with his own fair share of exes, Daniel wasn’t one to judge. 

“One drink, then you’re leaving. Understood?” Lestat stepped towards the smaller vampire, not letting go of Louis.

Armand clapped his hands and planted two unwelcome kisses on Lestat’s cheeks, “Crystal clear, now enough with these formalities, let’s drink!”

The party moved in pairs to the formal living room of the home just off the main parlor. Barely used Victorian sofas and chairs covered in satin and velvet filled the room. The book covered walls framed a large fireplace and French windows allowed you to see into the artfully kept garden. If you opened them in the spring, butterflies flew in and out as they pleased. This was a room mortals used for grand parties and entertaining their finest guests, tonight it was hosting a quartet of vampire’s wine night. 

Louis and Armand took to the loveseat as Daniel and Lestat made themselves comfortable in the matching armchairs across from the coffee table separating them. The blood was quickly served in the four crystal glasses and dished out. Moments were spent savoring the first sips, feeling the gourmet untouched blood fill their hollow veins and bring color to their faces. As much as Lestat hated Armand for intruding, it was a hell of a peace offering. He quickly looked and made sure he was also drinking, the Devil probably wasn’t above poisoning. 

Louis piped up eventually, barely having touched his portion, “This is quite a specimen Armand, wonderful of you to bring an extra for us to have later.” 

The auburn haired vampire casually placed a hand on Louis’ thigh and laughed haughtily, “You’re welcome my darling! What sort of guest would I be to bring a gift and enjoy it all for myself?”

The gesture made Lestat tense and grip his glass tighter, looking over to Daniel who was too lost in the blood to take notice. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Armand, hoping desperately to stop this charade before it starts. 

“Yes, what a delicious batch indeed; Steal it from a children’s hospital?” 

“Lestat!” 

“What? One doesn’t just find medical bags of blood these days Louis!”

He threw a crass look in Lestat’s direction, his own naive hopes of true reconciliation preventing him from noticing Armand moving over in his direction ever so slightly. Daniel was slowly coming to from the entanglements of the blood and took quick note of Armand’s encroaching behavior. Not saying anything or giving away his observance, but taking notice all the same.

“It’s fine Louis, he has no reason to trust me, nor do I him. Just rest easy knowing no one will miss these.” Armand lied, gesturing to the empty blood bags littering the wood table. He actually did steal them from a children’s hospital. 

The early evening was spent with mixed conversation, Louis being swept away within Armand’s alluring speech and Daniel being trapped with a growingly disgruntled Lestat. Every once in a while, Armand would make Louis laugh a little too loud for his comfort, or even be so bold as to touch his clothes under the guise of asking about fabrics. It was a seemingly innocent fixing of his hair and caress of his cheek that made him fall into thoughts of murder.

“Woah, Lestat, you might wanna ease up the grip.” Daniel tapped gently on his shoulder to pull his attention from the pair on the sofa. Looking to the cup, Lestat had no idea he was putting cracks in the glass.

“Does this not bother you in the least?” He gestured aggressively across the room, sounding partially defeated, “They might as well get it over with and start fucking already.”

This caught Daniel off guard, he hadn’t given them much thought all night. Looking carefully now, how comfortable Armand was with just reaching out and touching him, the flirtatious smile and that look he thought was only for him. It bothered him, it bothered him a lot.

Daniel coughed in an attempt to gather Armand’s attention away from his conversation and towards him. The two of them where on another planet however and his attempt fell on deaf ears, they were laughing about memories of Paris and some guy named Santiago. 

Lestat watched the fledgelings face change from contentment to worry and snickered into his glass, “That’s what I thought.” 

Just as things were coming to an edge, glasses began to come up empty along with Lestat’s patience. 

“Well I think we’re all _quite _finished here, it was a wonderful drink. Please take your leave now.” Lestat and Daniel stood up at the same time, flashing their lovers looks of equal disapproval.__

__Louis looked almost sad to see them go, shaking Daniel’s hand and leading them towards the door. There were no verbal adieus and Lestat was given no time to air his petty comments he had been so politely keeping in all evening. Rather than bid the typical goodbye of friendly hugs and well wishes, Armand opted to kiss Louis straight on the mouth. Who in his surprise froze in place and was too wary of not being a good host to stop the action. Pure silence followed, the utter boldness of the gesture made Lestat’s vision go white. If he said something, he had no idea and if he reached out to grab Armand’s neck, it was instinctual. Daniel in no time at all grabbed Armand by the shoulder in pure fear of such a reaction and pulled him onto the front porch._ _

__“It was a lovely time gentlemen, thank you for hosting.” Daniel’s eyes were pleading for forgiveness, his own attempts at containing his growing anger falling short with a rough shove at Armand to start walking. Lestat sent him a mental note not to worry and told him that the two of them would talk soon._ _

__The door slammed in their faces and Lestat’s white hot rage was turned now onto Louis, still standing like an ice sculpture and holding onto his glass._ _


	3. Burn the Couch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With wine night coming to an abrupt close, Lestat has a few choice words for Louis.

It didn’t take long for Lestat to begin his tirade, stomping away from Louis in raw disgust and angrily cleaning up the mess left behind in the living room. He quickly became frustrated with his surroundings, throwing the empty glasses into the fireplace instead of bringing them to the kitchen. Louis came to at the sound of the fire roaring and looked at Lestat, blood tears rolling down his cheeks as another glass made its way into the fire. He knew he had messed up by not reacting how he knows he should have. It all happened so fast, and Armand hadn’t kissed him like that since those long nights in Paris. He had fallen into a pit of memories, both good and terribly painful. Full of reminders as to why things ended between them and all of the beautiful things that happened before the inevitable split. Things that he prays his current lover will never find out.

“Lestat…” Louis walked slowly into the living room, careful to stay out of Lestat’s path as he furiously tore the cushions from the couch where he and Armand had sat just minutes before.

A blind rage clouded his vision and his thoughts, with no clear idea as too who to be angry at. Armand most certainly, but he was unsure whether or not Louis more than himself. His own jealousy could be blowing this completely out of proportion, but the thoughts coming from Armand, intentionally unabridged, flashed through his mind. It could all be that same game of riling him up to the brink, but everything sounded so genuine. He couldn’t stand the idea of losing Louis again; especially not to someone as intolerable as Armand. Unintelligible mutters came from his lips as he crumbled into a heap of tears in front of the loveseat. 

“You can leave if you want, just make it quick.” His voice was barely audible over the muffling of his head in his hands. 

Louis was confused, he knew Lestat was angry with him, but telling him he could leave? Where did that come from? 

“Why would I leave? Where would I go?” 

The tears paused for a sarcastic laugh, “Oh to be with your beloved Botticelli angel of course! I’m sure there’s more than enough room on Night Island to keep you satisfied.”

He was struck by this, no longer confused but annoyed at the implications, “I’m not going anywhere, this is my home. You are my home.” 

Lestat rose to his feet and started quickly towards Louis, there was no thought to harm him, but his stride gave away that he was ready to tear someone apart. The room was no longer hot with arousal, but sweltering with bitter jealousy. It was no secret between them in the slightest that Lestat was jealous at Armand’s open affection towards his fledgling. More than that, the hard sting of Louis never putting an end to it didn’t make him feel any better. 

“I thought you didn’t let your friends touch you like that. Or was that to smooth my ruffled feathers just enough to get him next to you again?”

“You know full well that I didn’t want him here as much as you. Let alone dragging Daniel along to make matters worse.”

“Don’t pretend that you care about the boy now! You didn’t seem to mind him sitting here as you and Armand practically had sex on the couch!” Lestat threw his hands in the air and picked up a throw pillow, hesitating for only a second before tossing it into the fire. 

Sparks flew everywhere, threatening the lace curtains and causing Louis to step back, “Are you seriously this jealous of his affections? Lestat for Christ’s sake, that’s just the way he is! He doesn’t know how to _not _be overbearing with those that he likes, have you not learned this?”__

__The veins of stress pulsing in Lestat’s forehead showed Louis just how jealous he was. Blood tears evaporated and only bitter chuckling surrounded them. The naivety and impotent nature of his fledgeling was made clear to him at last, he genuinely didn’t understand the problem._ _

__“Be that as it may cherie, you are with me and Armand is with Daniel, and you make no attempts at pushing him away! Where is Daniel’s similar displays of affection, hm? How do you think that comes across? Do you think that by letting him take the lead, you’re somehow absolved? Wake up and smell the roses, this isn’t mass sweetheart.”_ _

__“Oh, another cheap shot at my Catholicism; how scathing.” Louis put a hand to his throat in false shock before raising his voice, “And how about you? How do you think I feel whenever we go out and you make no moves at stopping the mortals who swarm you at every opportunity? What am I to you then? Certainly not this holy trophy you make me out to be now!”_ _

__Lestat sputters, “I- Louis I kill half of those people! The people we eat and the ones we commune with are quite different.” Lestat came closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and taking a mocking tone, “Let’s review, shall we? I didn’t leave you for Armand, nor do I let him touch me, or quite frankly want him anywhere in my vicinity as he also killed our daughter and constantly makes it clear that he wishes to take you from me!”_ _

__At the mention of Claudia they both run cold, avoiding the others eyes and stepping to opposite sides of the room. Louis hadn’t even considered Daniel’s feeling, to be quite honest he forgot the boy was there entirely. Armand had this mesmerizing quality about him, sucking you into whatever he had to say with just a touch of his hand. This seductive prowess was one of the many reasons things went sour between them, he was ashamed to have fallen back into it so effortlessly.  
  
“Don’t think that I don’t remember the past Lestat, trust me; some nights I find myself living in it. I’m sorry to have hurt you this way, Armand is one of the oldest friends that I have; it’s hard for me to imagine my life without him in it. So, I tolerate his annoying advances; but I will not deny that he just has this…hold on me that I can’t seem to shake.” Louis slowly made his way over to his wounded lover who was staring at the now tainted loveseat and staining the Persian rug with his tears. “You may burn the couch if you wish, I never really liked it anyway.” 

__He reached out for his shoulder but was quickly shaken off, an offended snort meeting him instead. “You say that this ‘old friend’ is hard to imagine a life without, then think of my life without you. Armand has been nothing but a shadow, following me through the centuries and turning up just when I think I’ve found some sense of solace. He is a part of the chaos that helps me enjoy my liminal peace. This chaos is once again trying to take the one thing I hold dear to me, and you’re sitting idly all the while. If you remember the past so vividly, I see no reason not to hate him as much as I.”_ _

__“I left him for a reason you know, there’s a reason why we’re reunited and he is waiting in the wings. Do you not see his own jealousy over yours? Or are you only envious of what we once shared?”_ _

__“The Devil doesn’t have emotions Louis.”_ _

__“Then why are you crying?”_ _

__Louis was sobbing now, craving a tight embrace and wishing for this horrible night to be over. He would never say that he hated Armand out-loud, but seeing Lestat in so much pain harmed the empath in him considerably. Lestat turned to him, his blue eyes rimmed in dark red and a disgusted look on his smooth face, “I’m going for a walk, I can’t stay in this room much longer. It stinks of desperation and your lack of loathing for one that has wounded us both so much makes me sick.”_ _

__In the blink of an eye, a window into the garden was thrown open and Louis was alone in a pile of broken glass and feathers. In this silence his tears flowed freely, reducing him to the floor and holding onto his knees for comfort._ _

__Suddenly, a familiar arm surrounded him and gathered him off of the ground, “There, there, he’ll get ahold of himself by tomorrow, don’t fret.”_ _

__This time, Louis was quick to deny the all too comfortable touch, an immediate feeling of rage coursing through his body, “You have the audacity to come back here after what you’ve done? I didn’t think you could still surprise me after all of this time, but once again I am proven a fool.”_ _

__Armand wasn’t shocked in the least at the nights events, the game to him never quite had an end. Hating Lestat equally as much as Lestat hated him was something he had perfected over the years.He would never admit it to anyone other than his subconscious, but he had always kept a close eye on Louis in the hopes that one day they would come together again. His actions leaving less to the imagination than he thought. The regret of how their time together ended never quite left him and seeing him with a brute such as Lestat only made that yearning grow stronger. Daniel was more than satisfactory, he would dare even to tell the boy he loved him. Giving him any and everything he asked, filling his every need in more ways than one. But Armand had lived a long time, and one thing that had never changed was his ache for the only one he saw as his near equal. He knew it was perfectly evil getting in between them so publicly as he did tonight, but it was still a game after all._ _

__His own partner was no short of furious with him, turning on lights with how loud he yelled about “limits” and “boundaries” and “nerve”. Armand was silent the entire time, giving small indications of his listening in nods and quiet apologies. It was with an inappropriate snort at Daniel describing just how upset he succeeded in making Lestat that he was ordered away from him. Daniel demanded to sleep separately and couldn’t bear the sight of Armand’s smug face any longer. This was the first serious fight they had gotten into since the day’s of Daniel’s mortal begging for the Dark Gift. He was incredibly hurt, but Louis’ unblocked emotions led him back to the grand manor, and here he was._ _

__“That was your first mistake darling, I always have something up my sleeve.” Armand smoothly pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and turned it over to Louis, who promptly threw it into the fireplace._ _

__“I’m not your darling, I haven’t been in a long time. Armand, you know that you’re one of my closest friends. You also know that I have the hardest time, more than I would care to admit, denying you. I’m sure we both remember that quite clearly.” The smaller vampire’s confidence ran dry, memories of their shared past coming to the surface. “The utter audacity you have to use that against me, in my own home, and in front of Lestat is pitiful and quite earnestly disgusting. I don’t want you anymore, and you shouldn’t want me anymore either!”_ _

__“Who said that I still wanted you? You know that I’m-“_ _

__Louis stepped towards him, his own temper and need to destroy flickering in his gut, “Don’t toy with me Armand. You have someone that loves you, it practically radiates off of him whenever he looks at you. We have people that care for us deeply, don’t hurt them more than we already have.” He said darkly, making the clear size difference between them unmissable._ _

__Armand reached out to him, praying for one last caress before the inevitable. Louis smacked his hand away and grabbed him by the throat, “I do not wish to be a part of your game any longer.”_ _

__Defeated, Armand pried his way out of Louis’ grasp, taking one last look at his face before leaving rather dramatically through the window. Louis looked back towards the couch, wiping the tears from his eyes as he threw each of the remaining cushions into the dying fireplace._ _


	4. Common Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Armand tries to console a broken down Louis, Lestat and Daniel come up with a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a short one, sorry; I promise that the next one has more action! Schools starting back up tomorrow, so it may take me a little longer than usual to update. :)

Lestat stormed through the streets of the city, paying no mind to the mortals of the night eyeing his expensive clothes as he barreled through. Nothing mattered right now, his blind rage leading him far away from the manor and into a sullen park. Dim street-lamps guided him along the stone path and to the only vacant bench he could sense. It was freezing when he sat down, blistering its way through his trousers and making him feel as though he was sitting in a puddle. It could have been a downpour and he wouldn’t have noticed, the only thing he could pay attention to was his tears clouding his vision. He was surely convinced that in this moment he had lost his beloved; the waves of emotion and slow acceptance of being alone again starting to wash over him.

Despite this, he had felt no regret for anything he had said, Louis was sensitive and sure to look back to that home-wrecking imp for comfort; but Lestat knew that everything he said was true. Petty and dramatic, but correct nonetheless. Throwing their custom pillows into the fire may have been an extreme, but crimes of passion are done for emotional impact at the end of the day.

He felt his phone ring over and over in his pocket, Louis’ custom ringtone sounding each and every time. He was sorry and Lestat knew it, but falling gracefully into these inevitable promises of change would only leave him wounded at Armand’s next appearance. It wasn’t that he was confident that Louis was deceiving him, but that his naive lover danced far too close to beautiful fires. Fascinating himself with the aesthetics of such things and ignoring the pain that comes in the end. Armand knew this and exploited it; something had to be done to scare Armand straight, so to speak. Something to lead him back into the arms of the one who he belonged with; or in the arms of no one after his grand performance in the parlor. 

Slow footsteps started to approach him, the familiar scent causing Lestat to look up with no worries. Even if it was a mugger or a junkie, it’s not like they’d have a chance to begin with. 

“Daniel, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Lestat gave a lazy bow from his seat on the bench and scooted over to make room. Daniel looked like hell, bags of stress wore deep into his under-eyes and the clear anxious fidgets of stress making him unable to stay still. 

The boy sighed and slouched next him, working his temples with his fingers, “I don’t even think he loves me anymore. One minute, I think everything’s great; I have everything I’ve ever wanted all in one place. A beautiful house, amazing parties, all of the coke and none of the dangers,” He laughed dryly before leaning on Lestat’s shoulder, “But the love of my life is still hung up on his ex, fuck me right?” 

The blonde laughed along with him, being caught up in a fit for a little too long, “Imagine how tired I am, your pint-sized devil has been going after my boyfriend for longer than your entire family has been alive!” 

“That’s the worst part of it all, how can I compete with Louis? Not to be disrespectful or anything, but he’s hotter than I’ll ever be! What’s an ex-junkie with a drinking problem doing hanging around some sophisticated Renaissance men from another century? Truly and honestly, fuck my life.” 

Lestat grabbed Daniel by the shoulders and shook him, slapping him lightly across the face to reel in his attention, “You compete by being the only honest creature out of all of us- don’t roll your eyes, shut up and listen to me! You’ve retained every essence of your humanity while doing what’s in your own nature. You kill as you should and enjoy as you wish. None of the seriousness of this age or ours of the past weighs on you. Changing circumstances can kill a man if he’s too comfortable, you have not lived a life of comfort; therefor you do what you can and try and be an honest creature while you do it. That makes you better than us all in your own special way.”

Daniel could’ve cried right then and there in his arms if he wasn’t so numb. Any fear or reservations towards Lestat were washed away in an instant, that was the nicest thing anyones said to him in a long time.

The air was too tense for his liking, serious situations tended to make Daniel rather uncomfortable, “That’s all well and good, and much appreciated- truly, but that doesn’t change the fact that Louis and Armand are absolutely beautiful. I mean truly mesmerizing, and I’m just a spaced out dork from the suburbs; it can’t just be Louis’ sophistication that attracts him. You said it yourself, they were practically fucking on the couch! I’m not even really allowed to touch him like that…”

Lestat’s eyes widened, “What do you mean ‘allowed’?” 

“Armand really doesn’t like being touched affectionately unless he’s really close to whoever wants to. He explained it to me once before I was turned, something about his life before he was a vampire. I don’t really know, I was super high when he told me. He doesn’t like people touching me like that either, it’s really hypocritical come to think of it…”

The boy regretted it as soon as he said it, catching the flash of an idea in Lestat’s face. They sat in silence for a while, the flicker of a nearby lamp keeping them company while Lestat stewed on his thought and Daniel rethought his entire relationship. It was the first amicable silence they had the privy of sharing, a milestone in their ever-changing friendship. 

“I say that we make the imp pay.” Lestat piped up suddenly, confidence lacing his voice and a wild grin cracking his face. 

Daniel was fully aware of Armand’s strength and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little afraid of whatever consequences would come of this, “Pay? Also can you please stop calling him and imp, I know he’s annoying but-“ 

“No, I will not. I’m sorry but I almost killed that bastard an hour ago, he’s getting called whatever I want. Anyway, he has the nerve to come into my home and my places of peace and make moves on my Louis? I reckon that he wouldn’t mind the shoe being on the other foot then!” 

Lestat stood up and started to pace in front of Daniel, who’s brows furrowed in confusion, “I’m not following, stop with the goddamn figures of speech and dramatics.”

“You’re getting very confident for someone who almost wet himself in one of my good chairs.” 

“Touché, please continue.” 

Crouching in front of the boy with his hands rubbing maniacally together, Lestat laid out his dramatic plan. Through less convincing than anticipated and articulate reasoning, it didn’t take much for Daniel to get on board. Giving Armand a taste of his own medicine was long overdue, being treated as if he were an afterthought weighed heavily on Daniel’s mind. The boy oftentimes spent hours staring at the elaborate painted ceiling in their shared bedroom and wondered if he had made a mistake. Begging on your knees to share eternity with who you perceive to be the love of your life, only to have them run full speed away from you, was a hell of a burden. Lestat and him finally had more than their immortality in common.

Daniel felt no trepidation in the least, it would be a weight lifted from him just to see the look on Armand’s face.

“And what about Louis? Does he get anything in all of this?” 

Lestat stood up and thought for a moment, the exhilaration of finally having the upper-hand on Armand made him feel lighter, almost free. “My love isn’t completely helpless, something tells me that he will have no problem standing up for himself. Lest you forget, he does have a body count, and I don’t mean mortal victims.” He laughed at the memories, as his own misfortunes tended to make him do. 

Daniel’s eyes went wide, “He fucking _what _? You have to be kidding, Louis is the most passive person I’ve ever met.”__

__The laughter turned shrill, making the older vampire double over and collapse back onto the bench, “I see your maker hasn’t awarded you the joy of our full intertwining history. Where should I begin…”_ _

__The seemingly never-ending story was told, Daniel getting to know Armand much better in a few hours then he had in months of them being together. He was unnerved, but now more than ever understood Lestat’s raw hatred for his small beast; any sane person in his position would. At that, the pair separated with a quiet hug, their plan fully agreed upon and their previous apprehensions as dead as a doornail. Armand would never know what hit him, Daniel was sure of it._ _


	5. Operation Imp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lestat and Daniel's plan goes into affect a week after the previous chapter, however things don't go according to plan and chaos ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a great time writing this story, please let me know how you're enjoying it in the comments!

Lestat practically flew home that night, feeling for the first time in a while like things were going his way. When he walked through the front door, he was surprised to see his mess cleaned up and their couch thoroughly destroyed. Louis was nowhere to be seen, a small pang of guilt hit Lestat as their argument played out for the hundredth time in his mind. He was hopelessly in love with a sensitive creature and wandered the house hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he inevitably slept alone at sunrise. The doors of their grand library were cracked slightly, the light of the Tiffany lamp seeping into the hallway. Louis was sitting in his favorite chair and dead to the world; head in his hands and so deep in thought he had to stop and see if he was even breathing. Lestat went unseen and unheard, and he intended to keep it that way. They were both too drained to discuss tonight’s events any further. 

Lestat almost felt bad for what he was set to do, almost. 

The week went by slowly and they rarely spoke; merely floating past one another like ghosts trapped in purgatory. Hunting alone and passing time even more alone; it didn’t bother Louis much, he had gotten acclimated to being by himself years ago. Lestat on the other hand was itching for conversation, attempting to guise Louis out of his typical melancholy, only to get noises and one word answers as a response. There was something he wasn’t telling him, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. 

Saturday threatened to pass by as abysmal and trepidatious as the previous nights, the both of them at opposite ends of the house twiddling their thumbs until the main phone erupted through the silent house. Louis got to it first, Lestat listening in like a nosy child at the top of the steps. 

“Hey, I know we kind of left on the wrong foot last time. But, I’d really like to come by and see you guys again. I don’t really have any other friends besides you two and Armand, it’s nice to see some other faces once in a while.”

In truth things had been going just as badly at their own manor, only Daniel wasn’t the silent, stoic type. Armand and Daniel had been arguing about minute details and comments all week; Armand often leaving the house in fits of rage to kill needlessly. He had convinced himself that Daniel would never fully understand, keeping his own feelings to himself rather than share openly with his partner. It was painful keeping these things from him, but being open was far from his nature; it wasn’t something he knew how to do in the least. The boy managed to keep his plan under wraps though, no amount of arguing wrestled it out of him. The communication barrier between maker and fledgeling saved his skin on multiple occasions, for the look on Armand’s face when he found out was constantly on his mind. 

Daniel almost felt bad, catching the hurt looks in Armand’s eyes now and then made his stomach turn, but then again; it was too good an opportunity to pass up.  
Louis hesitated, knowing that wherever the boy went, Armand wasn’t far behind. His guilt of being a good friend creeped up on him however, going once again against his better judgement. It was the least he could do after how hurt Daniel had been because of him. 

“That’s perfectly fine, we’d love to have you over again. What time did you want to stop by?” He tried to put on a confident voice, he really wasn’t in the mood to entertain tonight.

Daniel was quick to answer, hanging up the phone before they could say goodbye, “In about an hour; oh and don’t worry about feeding us. Armand managed three bags of type O again alright see you soon bye!” 

The mention of Armand coming along with him, although expected, immediately made the already emotional vampire angry. He didn’t want to see him again, the only calming perspective is that both he and Lestat are a package deal as well. Unless Armand suddenly drops dead, Louis knew he would have to put up with him for longer than he’d care to. Keeping up appearances and common politeness was the least he could do. If not for his own sake, then for the poor idiot in love with Armand.

Lestat came downstairs nonchalantly, hearing the entire exchange and trying his absolute best to stifle a cheeky grin, “Who was that Louis?” 

He looked up from the phone and softened his growing temper at the sight of Lestat, they hadn’t had a proper conversation in a week; let alone looking at each other for longer than was necessary.

“Daniel, he wants to see us again; he says that he’d like to see a different set of faces,” He hesitated before finishing, “And Armand is coming along as well, he’s bringing more of that wonderful blood.” Louis attempted to smile and prepared himself for Lestat’s reaction.

The blonde clapped his hands and walked right past his visibly tense lover, going towards the formal living room, “Oh that’s lovely! I’ve looked forward to seeing Daniel and how kind of Armand to bring something to nosh on.”

Louis raised his eyebrows and followed him into the room, their previously destroyed couch already having a replacement. It looked exactly the same, though slightly less comfortable. He watched Lestat fuss with the pillows and start up the fireplace, humming one of his own songs quietly and paying Louis’ confusion no mind. 

“You’re not upset?”

Lestat paused his pillow fluffing and smiled, “Why would I be upset? You said yourself that we’re all friends here! Besides, I’m starved.” 

Referring to Armand as a friend nearly made him gag, but the unbothered appearance was critical to the rest of the evening. Louis didn’t want to push the seemingly content Lestat over the edge, he didn’t quite understand the sudden change of pace and didn’t want to test his luck by questioning further. 

The hour flew by, no conversation about their fight coming up at all. Their dramatic doorbell sounded throughout the house, Lestat running towards the door and catching Louis’ hand on the doorknob. Louis gasped, they hadn’t touched in a week either, which was a rarity for them. 

“Allow me.” Lestat whispered, slowly brushing his hand away and opening the door. 

Daniel’s face was the first he saw, as it was the only one at eye level. They both broke out into a fit of childish giggles and pulled each other into a hug. Eliciting confusing stares from their partners but no comments whatsoever. Armand was dragged along this evening, wanting nothing to do with Louis and even less to do with Lestat. He was in no mood to be paraded along, the week’s events leaving him tired and irritable. 

“It’s great to see you guys again, and we brought the good shit as promised!” Daniel gave Lestat two kisses to the cheek and let himself in, taking Armand by the hand and forcing him across the threshold. Louis took quick notice of their unusual physical affection, but chalked it up to Lestat’s good mood and nothing more.

Armand and Louis avoided eye contact, neither acknowledged the others presence. Lestat took a different approach however, pulling the small creature into a tight hug and lifting him slightly off of his feet. He tensed up, preparing for an attack of some sort and not returning the favor.

“Armand! What a pleasure to have you back, thank you for supplying the fare this evening. You’re truly a life saver.”

Their partners were heartily confused as they watched Lestat and Daniel take each other by the arm and lead the party into the formal living room. Louis thought he was having deja vu, rubbing his eyes and putting on a brave face before getting comfortable in one of the arm chairs. Armand followed suit, serving the blood in fine whiskey glasses and wishing to disappear into the plush velvet chair. He didn’t want to be here, and refused to contribute to any sort of conversation. Which one could only wish for silence, Lestat’s shrill laughter eating up any space left in the room at every little thing Daniel said. 

“…and that’s the day I realized I could never shave this damned beard off!” Daniel gestured meekly to the scruff on his chin, playing the card of self-doubt and paying no mind to Armand as he opened his mouth to speak for the first time all night. 

Lestat stifled the comment, reaching out and rubbing Daniel’s facial hair; looking his face up and down in a manner that bordered on obscenity, “Don’t go looking like that! I think it looks dashing, gives you this robust quality that’s unbelievably attractive these days.”

He looked away casually, dragging his eyes across Louis and looking for any sign of irritation. Louis was lost again, staring at the floor as if it were the most pressing thing in the room. “Don’t you think so Louis? Hey- up here!” 

His eyes snapped up, startled and completely on another planet, “What was that?”

“He asked if you thought Daniel’s scruff was attractive.” Armand was paying closer attention now, tearing Lestat to bits with his eyes over the wandering hand on his fledgeling’s face. 

Louis watched as Armand shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Personally,” he gulped, feeling Armand burn holes into the side of his head, “I prefer the clean-shaved look, but he doesn’t look bad.” 

Lestat accepted that as an answer and started a story of his own, a dramatic re-telling of how he gained his title,“Wolf-Killer”. Daniel sat doe-eyed the entire time, grasping onto Lestat’s thigh and ignoring Armand’s audible grumbles from across the room. Slowly but surely, their plan was working. Louis left his thoughts carelessly unguarded; even though he appeared lost in thought, he watched their every move with cat-like precision. It took all of Daniel’s restraint not to break out into a fit of laughter. 

Lestat paused abruptly after he described the slaying of his beloved dogs, forcing himself to tear up at the memory. Daniel pulled him into a hug, brushing the hair gently on the back of his head and the duo practically sitting in each other’s laps, “There there, you’re so brave. It’s amazing how strong you are now, I can’t-"

Armand coughed aggressively and sat up, “Would anyone like seconds?” 

They looked up, “No, we’re just fine. But please, feel free to help yourself.” Lestat said casually, turning quickly back to Daniel as though he missed him. The story went on for some time and Daniel was genuinely engrossed in the second half. The reporter in him never left, it was one of the few things he managed to retain of his mortality. 

“That’s why they started calling me Wolf-Killer, it was so long ago and yet it still sticks. Truthfully, it makes me sound much braver than I am; so I don’t really mind.” They both laughed, eventually turning to the other two guests with Daniel’s head falling casually on Lestat’s shoulder. His hand gripped onto the boys thigh with such a sense of protectiveness it made Daniel gasp.

It pushed Armand onto the edge, not over, but treading on thin ice. He found himself gritting his teeth and taking longer swigs of the sweet blood. It wasn’t enough to calm him down, he wanted Lestat’s head in the fireplace. Louis was reaching a sort of peak in his own right, he understood what was going on from the beginning. He may be passive and quiet, but he wasn’t an idiot. This was clearly a means to make him feel guilty for his behaviors the other night. It hurt more than he thought it would; a pit of guilt with tinges of jealousy eating at his insides. Lestat’s eagerness to get back at him vindictively rather than discussing it verbally also hurt considerably, his pettiness truly knew no limits.

“Any stories from either of you tonight? Or will it just be me letting out more hot air.” Lestat flashed a shit-eating grin and looked straight at Armand. The auburn haired vampire clutched onto his empty tumbler, making the lighting bolt cracks from his grip clear.

Daniel smacked his chest playfully, “Stop that! I loved your story, no wonder you’re a writer.”

“You seem to be the only one, cherie!” They both laughed and Lestat stretched his arm out, enveloping Daniel’s shoulders and pulling him in closer than he already was. 

Armand finally snapped, throwing his fine crystal straight at Lestat’s head and missing his cheek by only an inch. He didn’t flinch, simply looking up at Armand unimpressed at his growing rage. 

“Now was that really necessary? Great, now the set’s uneven.” Lestat hadn’t released Daniel, who in his fear of Armand’s considerable strength retracted closer to Lestat’s chest. 

Louis was unfazed by their closeness, his only priority becoming Armand’s every move. He understood Lestat’s jealousy now, and was defeated in his guilt. That being said, he would sooner set their couch on fire again than let any harm come to his maker. He had seen Armand angry many times before and was unafraid of his tempers; Lestat on the other hand had only seen the half of it. Their petty squandering had never unleashed his full rage and it was never a pretty sight. 

Armand started towards the couch, stoping right in front of the intertwined pair and hesitating for a beat before attempting to physically pull them apart. This didn’t work of course, Lestat’s marble form and iron grip not budging an inch. 

This only enraged the smaller vampire even more. 

“Daniel! What are you doing? Get off of him this instant! I can’t believe the audacity you have to this in front of me- strike that- to do it at all!” 

The boy looked up at Lestat and had to cover his mouth as to not laugh in his face, “You’re not my mother Armand. This is how _friends _interact, I thought you knew that.” It was sharp and it was cruel, the reality of the situation hitting him all at once.__

__This didn’t stop his temper though, picking up another fine glass and hurling it at the wall behind Lestat’s head. At that, Louis made his way over to the couch and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. If he could deescalate the situation rather than delve into a full scale brawl, he would take the opportunity. Armand didn’t take it kindly though, turning sharply and delivering a hard slap to Louis’ face and knocking him to the ground._ _

__Daniel gasped, angry but too afraid at what could come next to show it. This wasn’t how the plan was supposed to play out, he regretted his involvement for Louis’ sake and didn’t want to be alone with Armand anytime soon. He relayed this quickly and silently to Lestat, who had already released him and gotten to his feet._ _

__“Go upstairs into the bedroom and lock the door.” Lestat stared hard at Armand and the smaller vampire watched powerlessly as his lover fled from him. Since his stint with Akasha, Lestat had evolved into the more powerful of the two, any further violence wouldn’t be in Armand’s favor and he knew that. But Louis was on the floor and that could not go unaccounted for._ _

__Armand stood his ground as Lestat inched closer and closer to his face, not breaking eye contact nor a sweat, “Now, why did you do that? I was fully prepared to send you two back home with a souvenir bottle-opener, I really was. But now Louis is on the floor, and that’s just not very nice.” Lestat snaked his hand around Armand’s throat, applying no pressure but threatening it with the flexing of his fingers,“You did that a little too comfortably as well, why is that?”_ _

__“He surprised me, it was instinctual. Nothing more, nothing less.” Armand turned his head as far as he was allowed and looked at Louis, watching him from the floor, “I’m sorry, I hope you’ll forgive me.”_ _

__Louis shook his head and stood up slowly, dusting off his evening coat and making his way out of the room, “I’m going to go check on Daniel, I trust Lestat will show you the door. Thanks again for the drink, safe home.” He said coldly, not looking back._ _

__They were alone in the room, Lestat keeping a hold onto Armand’s throat and their gazes digging into one another._ _

__“I don’t really care for your instincts, Armand. Listen close and listen well, Daniel is going to stay here for a- stand still or I’m going to kill you right now- as I was saying, Daniel is staying with us for as long as he wishes to. We keep a spare coffin for guests, and he’s more than safe here; not that you care anyway. I’m glad that you finally understand how enraging it is to watch someone throw themselves at the one you love. Or was it worse to watch me do it better?”_ _

__“You’re insufferable you know that?”_ _

“I’m well aware, you’re quite abhorrent yourself.  
  
“What a horrible wretched thing to say! I hope you haven’t forgotten the days you fell almost identically under my fingertips, such a shame to forget one’s past.” 

____

__Lestat scoffed and gripped hard onto Armand’s windpipe, “That was before you chopped off my boyfriend’s hands and killed my daughter you pint-sized imbecile!” Armand struggled under his fingers, “Besides, those who really know you learn soon enough the pain you drag in right behind. I hope one day you can look in the mirror and see your sins like Dorian Gray, such a shame to see beauty poisoned by rage.”_ _

____

__“I could weep at your preaching Lestat, you should truly consider performing it for the masses.”_ _

____

__“Get the fuck out of my house before I really remember the past and toss you into my fireplace.”_ _

____

__His pride was bruised along with the flesh around his neck. In a few short movements he was at the door. Armand looked to the stairs, hoping to see Daniel standing there waiting for him but only catching the light from the hallway. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t saddened at the loss, he knew he was lucky if he ever saw his fledgling again. His parallels with Lestat made him sick in that moment, the entire situation coming full circle towards him and threatening to knock him to the ground._ _

____

__Lestat caught him by the arm as he walked aimlessly down the driveway, making a knocking sound inside of his skull and asking him politely to turn around, “If I ever catch you laying so much as a hair on Louis again, let alone dare to hit him, I will not hesitate to tear your worthless body apart and make it pâté. Are we clear?” It was a harsh, threatening whisper. The look in eyes leaving no room for doubt, he was serious and meant every syllable._ _

____

__Armand answered through gritted fangs as he turned away, “Crystal.”_ _

____


	6. A Lifted Weight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis finally breaks down his walls and tells Lestat the hidden truths of the time spent between Armand and him. The pieces finally come together for Lestat, who wants Armand dead more than he already thought possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit darker than the others, so I updated the tags accordingly; please read them before continuing! 
> 
> (Specific tags for this chapter: Past Rape/Non-con, Past Abuse and Rape Recovery)

When Lestat finally came into the bedroom, Daniel had already made himself comfortable in the large bed; mortal sleep tucking him in and Louis rubbing his back. The satin pillowcase under his ruffled ashen blonde hair was stained with tears, the front of Louis’ shirt looking as though he were stabbed. Crying blood, although perfectly dramatic, made a hell of a mess. 

“Is he gone?” Louis’ voice was quiet and bordered on cracking, although he did well in the middle of it all, the slap shook him up quite a lot. It brought him back to a time he would really wish he could forget. 

Lestat leaned on the doorframe, crossing his arms and giving his lover much needed space, “I’ve been waiting downstairs and listening for him most of this time, he actually left quite a while ago. You can breathe, I don’t think he’s coming back; not tonight at least.”

Louis visibly let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and looked down at Daniel. The boy had thrown himself under the bed when he walked in, stifling his cries with his hand in fear of it being Armand. It took almost twenty minutes to calm him down, he was more worried about Louis than himself. Admitting between hyperventilations that he had never seen Armand hit someone so carelessly before; the words stung, but he was relieved that Armand had not been so rough with Daniel.

The guilt of getting in between their relationship hit its peak in that moment. They both spent as long as it took for Daniel to fall asleep crying and holding onto one another. Their strange point of relation caused them to be incredibly apologetic to one another, creating a bond that would last a lifetime. At least they had one thing to thank Armand for at the end of the day, each other.

“I’m so sorry.” It was almost a whisper. Louis stood up slowly and walked towards the door, tears staining his cheeks with every step. He was welcomed finally into Lestat’s arms, crying into his shoulder and being given the comfort he desperately needed over a week ago. He was ready now to bear it all, these secrets of his past have done nothing but wound him; it was time to be freed. “I need to tell you something, everything. We can’t- I can’t live like this anymore.” 

Lestat nodded slowly and looked over at Daniel sleeping soundly on the bed, “Whatever you wish, just not here. He’s been through a lot and needs to rest.” 

Louis grabbed him by the hand and led him through the house; both of them ignoring the living room as they passed it and going straight into the back garden. It had gotten colder as the evening progressed, a slight breeze drying Louis’ tears upon contact. Even though you would never guess by stepping outside, spring was blooming in San Francisco. Their garden was a hub of every color flower, hedges in the shapes of lion’s heads and a large marble fountain in the center covered the lush green grass. It you stared too long, you’d mistake it for a magazine. The tranquility and privacy was the perfect spot in Louis’ mind to lay out the bad memories. Their house was filled with too much joy and had love practically leaking from the walls; if these words were spoken inside, he was afraid he’d taint it.

They sat side by side on the wide rim of the fountain, staring out at a bed of roses. Lestat was patient and watched as Louis calmed himself down and then revved himself up to get the words out. He had never seen his fledgeling so upset before, sorry was no longer what he wanted to hear; he needed to know, practically willing to beg, for what hurt Louis so badly inside.

“You’re well aware that me and Armand were together for a time, right?” 

“Of course.” 

Louis sighed and looked into Lestat’s eyes, noting the full fledged concern and laughing to himself, “Well, it’s one of my biggest regrets. It was great at first, we were ‘equals’ as he called it. Discussing the mysteries of our drawn out lives and the wonders each new age brought. God, Lucifer, the cosmos; nothing was taboo and everything went explored. He got too curious eventually though, sex became a fixation for him. He was obsessed with it, why mortals craved it so much and why society pulled away from it. It was sick and it started to consume him.” 

Lestat turned to him quickly, he didn’t like where this was going. Louis was lost now in the memories, the story continuing despite his brain moving elsewhere, “I had never been with anyone like that before, even as a mortal. With my upbringing, it had never even occurred to me to even try. My mother would have shunned me, my brother would’ve been beside himself.” At the thought of Paul he began to cry, “Anyway, I denied him of course, which enraged him every time. Things started to become strained between us, that’s when he started hitting me.”

“He what?” Lestat felt the anger bubbling inside of him. “Is that why he didn’t give it a second thought tonight? That little-“

“Please, let me finish.” 

Lestat quietly said he was sorry and held Louis’ hand, imploring him to continue, “Anytime he disagreed with me, he’d smack me. It didn’t start with full blown swings, small taps here and there that were more annoying than painful. One day though, he was fully convinced he could have intercourse as a mortal man, that he’d found a magic cure or some rubbish like that. I said no, I wasn’t ready and really didn’t want to. This infuriated him and he shouted that if we were equals, I should be equally as curious. He knocked me onto the floor and he was just so strong, I couldn’t stop him…”

Louis broke down, his confessions making him more embarrassed than he had been in his entire life and the shame of it all crumbling on top of him, “Since then, I did whatever he asked. I was too afraid to leave him and even more scared to speak up. Overtime, I had even started to convince myself that I deserved it too. My hatred for him grew slowly though, for the record I do hate him and I realized that the night I burned the couch. Anyway, I clearly managed to break out, eventually gaining the courage and finding my perfect opportunity to leave.” He gestured to himself in defeat, “Clearly I haven’t gotten out completely though, how pitiful.”

Lestat was at a loss for words and felt, quite bluntly, like a piece of shit. Louis had been through more than he could have possibly imagined, and at the hands of Armand no less. If one thing was for certain in that moment, it was that Armand was never welcome in their home again. Even so much as a whisper of his presence would be the end for him, Lestat would make sure of it.

“I- I’m so sorry this has happened to you. If I had any idea I would have never-“

Louis laughed weakly, “Don’t apologize, you didn’t have a clue; I made sure of it. I knew that if you found out, you’d be angry with me and set out to murder Armand. We’d never be able to enjoy a thing until he was gone; and he’s not worth the struggle. It’s taken me so many years to get comfortable with being so much as in the same room as him; let alone talk to him and have a polite conversation. When he touched me, I froze up; I had no idea how to react or what to do. It was like being back there again, in that room.”

“Wait a minute, what? Why would I be angry with you? None of this was your fault you know, in the slightest.” Lestat was struck by this, he knew he was hotheaded and petty, but he wasn’t absolutely hollow. 

“For being with him first instead of you. I know how protective you are and I didn’t want you to be disgusted by me.”

Lestat turned to fully face his partner, taking on the most soft and serious voice he could muster and looking him straight in his eyes, tears threatening his own, “Louis, I would and could never be disgusted by you. I love you, so much it physically hurts me sometimes. What happened to you was not ‘being’ with someone and holds no bearing on how I view our relationship, on how I view you. I’m so sorry you felt as though you couldn’t tell me this, but I’m so glad you did. I love you and we can do this together. I’ll be whatever you need me to be, even if that’s just for support.”

Louis sniffled and wiped his tears away, his shirt completely stained pink, “I don’t want him around me anymore and I told him so after you left that night. It took all of my courage to do so, but I even grabbed him by his neck and told him I’d had enough of whatever game he was playing with me. He left without striking me or even fighting back really, I felt like I was finally free.”

“I’m very proud of you and I feel so terrible about everything that happened tonight. How much of a jackass I can be sometimes really shocks me.”

“Your little show with Daniel?” They both chuckled, lightening the air around them considerably, “Yes, I caught on quite quickly. You know, you both make quite the pair.”

“It was more for that bastard child than you really, but I’m sorry you got caught up in the middle of it all. I told him that Daniel is staying with us for as long as he wants to and he’s not welcome back unless he wishes to die in our driveway.”

Louis looked over at the darkened curtains around the bedroom window, “I can hear him snoring from out here, I think he’s already quite settled.”

They sat holding hands by the fountain until the sky turned from a star-lined black into a dark blue. With threats of sunrise looming, they made their way back through the house wordlessly, ignoring again the still messy living room. Lestat checked on Daniel before the sleep hit him and closed the curtains just as the sun broke through the lightening sky. They settled into their shared coffin at the base of the bed, it was masterfully disguised as settee. 

Louis clutched onto Lestat like he was afraid of him going somewhere, looking up at him with tired eyes and smiling, “I hate that fucking excuse for a vampire.” 

Lestat looked down at him in surprise and laughed loudly, too loud for the small space. He kissed him on the forehead before closing his eyes, “So do I my love, so do I.”

The sleep took them over soon after, leaving them tangled up in each other’s arms and still dressed in tear soaked clothes. Louis felt safe and truly protected in Lestat’s arms, the barrier of his past no longer causing drifts between them. The immense weight of the memories that had followed him like a haunt for centuries was lifted. It would take more time to fully become unraveled though. Having someone like Lestat by his side however, made him confident that it was possible. He desperately needed support from the one he loved so dearly, the only one he had really loved in all of his life.

Lestat was in for the long haul, however long that may actually be not mattering to him in the least. Where else did he have to be? Who else deserved his time and patience more than the one he devoted his life too? They were as they should be, united and in the other’s complete trust truly for the first time. 

Daniel and Armand however, could not say the same.


	7. Decisions, Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending a month with Lestat and Louis, Daniel is finally ready to confront Armand. An ultimatum for the future of their relationship is given; will Armand choose the hard way back to grace, or will he lose Daniel forever?

Daniel spent a full month living in their manor before he could even talk about Armand again. It was a mix of anger and pure sadness that took him over. Angry obviously over what had transpired, he had never known Armand to be that violent with people he allegedly cared about. It was no secret that it was clearly possible physically, given his age and everything he knew about their kind. But to actually do it? He didn’t know how to handle the idea that any given day it could’ve been him instead of Louis. 

The sadness came later, Louis had sat him down the night after it all went wrong and explained to him their complicated past. Armand had been keeping so much from him this entire time. Daniel was a forgiving person almost to a fault, at the smallest hint of change he would let someone back into his life. His lover had not been this way with him and he was almost willing to let it go under the excuse of it being several lifetimes ago. Seeing Louis so lost in it all, even so long after it all happened, made him reconsider the idea completely however. What kind of a person would he be to go dancing back into Armand’s arms after everything he knew now?

It was a heavy thing to mull over, did he want to be with someone with those capabilities, or help them through it and see them change? 

Lestat and Louis gave him all the space he needed through this time; even bringing dinner to his room on several occasions when he couldn’t get out of bed. The extra bags of blood actually coming in handy instead of remaining untouched. Conversations were few and they respected his need to be alone. One night he woke up later than usual screaming at the top of his lungs because of a nightmare. He didn’t want to tell them what about, but they let him sleep in their room nonetheless. For the first time since he was changed, he felt at though he had more than a lover looking after him. For a vampire to have true friends was a rarity and they were all grateful to have each other. 

Slowly as the month progressed, he came out of his room more and more everyday. When they were all together watching a movie in the den, he decided to share what was keeping him locked away. His period of thinking was over and he decided that he couldn’t stand this stagnant life he was leading. 

“I don’t know what to do. I know I shouldn’t, but I love him and I know it’s the last thing you want to hear about him all things considered; I’ve just never felt this way about anyone before.” 

Lestat and Louis looked at eachother and paused the film, “He’s a…special creature I’ll give him that.” Lestat replied slowly to Daniel, “Do you wish to go back? You’re more than welcome to stay if you don’t.”

The boy sat and thought for a moment, he honestly didn’t know, “I want to give him a choice. Although he’s proven to all of us that chances are not working in our favor, I think that a choice will.”

“An ultimatum?” 

Daniel nodded and sat up straight and looked past Lestat and straight to Louis, “He either goes to therapy and works out this control-domineering-homewrecking bullshit or he never sees me again.”

The severity of the two choices surprised them both. 

“Armand would never agree to that, he’s too prideful to even try.” Louis shook his head and gave Daniel as saddened face, the boy’s desperation to make it all work out reminded him so much of himself. 

“He doesn’t have to agree, that’s the beauty of a choice. He gets to choose what’s more important, his pride or me. If he chooses me, then I get to help him change and hopefully one day be a better person for us all to be around.” Daniel shrugged his shoulders, “If not, then I guess you guys have a new roommate until you get sick of me!” 

They all laughed, Lestat thinking, for the first time, about the consequences of this idea. He was sure that the bastard would deny this real chance to change and give up probably the only person willing to tolerate him for longer than an evening. However, if he was proven wrong, then he might not have to kill Armand on sight next time they cross paths. The idea of never being able to exact his hatred irritated him, but that was for another time. They still had the rest of forever to live through. 

Lestat thought then about Daniel’s safety. A vampire of his infancy could never dream of defending themselves against someone like Armand,“And what if he attacks you? You don’t hope to do this alone I hope?”

Daniel shot finger-guns in response, taking on a nervous smile and patting Lestat on the shoulder, “That’s where you come in my friend! I’m not _completely _suicidal, so I’d like you to come with me. I wouldn’t ask you to be in the room, just standing outside the door and keeping an ear out for me. I figured the threat of your presence would be enough of a deterrent not to let his temper get the better of him. This is on my terms and I have no problem leaving if he doesn’t like it, I really don’t give a shit.”__

__They both looked to Louis, who was grateful that his assistance wouldn’t be needed, “You two can go and do this if it’s what you need to do. Just let me know in advance so I can take myself out to dinner, it gets so boring being in this house alone.”_ _

__“And so then we will,” Lestat leaned over and dropped his head in Louis’ lap and his feet on Daniel’s legs, having no shame in taking up the entire couch, “When were you planning on going? There’s no rush.”_ _

__Daniel stood up, throwing Lestat’s feet to the floor and practically dragging the rest of him with it, “Right now if you’re game, I have the courage now and I’d really like to get some of my stuff.”_ _

__Lestat looked up to Louis, searching for some sign of permission in his eyes that he was ok to be alone right now. With a short, almost undetected nod as his signal, Lestat removed himself from his comfortable spot on the couch and the pair took their leave._ _

__. . . . . . . . . ._ _

__Armand’s manor wasn’t far from their own, but they took the scenic route per Daniel’s request; he wanted a little more time to think everything over. Daniel had butterflies of anxiety in his stomach, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. He knew it was stupid to be in love with someone so dangerous, but he saw through Armand’s veil of harsh confidence. The mortal in him still desperately needed healing, if there was any left in him at all. Preparing yourself for the possibility of leaving the one you traded the sun for was a hard reality, one that took him three weeks locked in a room to accept._ _

__They took on a leisurely pace and didn’t speak; one was prepping his speech and the other thinking of the most effective ways of strangling someone._ _

__They were preparing of two very opposite end results._ _

__They turned the corner of a quiet street, the opulent house sitting at the end of a long cul-de-sac. Lestat could sense Armand immediately, the hair on his arms raising and the feeling of hatred coming into his muscles._ _

__“This is as far as I’ll go, he can already feel me. But, if anything goes wrong and he so much as _blinks _the wrong way, I’ll be there in a heartbeat.” Lestat pulled the boy into a hug and squeezed affirmingly, “Whatever happens, we love you.”___ _

____Daniel pulled away, straightened his jacket and started towards the house. The walk was longer than he remembered, his vampiric speed doing him no favors uphill. When he reached the door, he hesitated before knocking; Armand answering after only the first one._ _ _ _

____The redhead looked him up and down, staring straight past him and looking to Lestat down the street, “I see you’ve finally decided to come home, is your guest coming inside or is he just going to stand there?”_ _ _ _

____“Don’t worry about him Armand, I’m here to talk.”_ _ _ _

____“And there is much to discuss.” Armand moved to the side and let Daniel in, closing the door just as he caught Lestat giving him the middle-finger._ _ _ _

____Though he might not show it outwardly, Armand missed Daniel so badly he caught himself crying on several occasions and not bothering to feed for as long as three nights in a row. He knew his behavior, all of it, was unacceptable and he felt terrible about putting his hands on Louis. The actions of his past haunted him and he had never found the words or the capability to bring them up. Admitting he was wrong and saying he was sorry were very hard for him to do and he didn’t know why; just that it was. And now Daniel was brought into the middle and he knew for a fact this conversation wouldn’t be one of moving past what happened. Armand knew it wasn’t a homecoming, he’d be a fool to expect so, but a goodbye party._ _ _ _

____Armand led them into the living room, taking occupancy on the couch and his fledgeling preferring to stand. Daniel was tense, pacing back and forth in front of him and not making eye contact until he could calm himself down. Armand didn’t speak, just watched. He too was worried at what would come of this evening._ _ _ _

____“Louis told me everything, I know about everything that happened between you two.”_ _ _ _

____The smaller vampire sighed and sat back, he knew it would come up eventually, “That was so long ago.”_ _ _ _

____Daniel stopped pacing and looked hard at him, “You still did it; and you still hit him like you used to and didn’t hesitate for a second when you did. I was prepared to let it slide with that excuse too, but I couldn’t stop thinking to myself ‘well if it was so easy to hit Louis, would it be so hard to hit me?’ It kept me up for days and I couldn’t get Louis’ words out of my head. He was so numb when he talked about it, you could almost watch him go through it all over again. I’d been living with you for so long and I didn’t have a clue, I told you everything about me and somehow you managed to elude everything about yourself. Where does that leave us?”_ _ _ _

____Armand tried to stand but a quick pulse from Lestat walking towards the house kept him down. Daniel sat in the chair adjacent to the couch and leaned forward, “I need you to make a choice for me.”_ _ _ _

____“Anything, I miss you so much and I’m so sorry for putting you- for putting everyone- through this. I’d do anything.”_ _ _ _

____“That’s great news,” Daniel perked up, maybe he didn’t have to leave after all, “It’s either we go and see someone, a therapist, and figure out how to help you. Don’t roll your eyes and listen to me for once. You either see a therapist or you never see me again.”_ _ _ _

____This enraged him, quickly concealing his thoughts and hiding it dutifully in fear of the consequences of an outburst, “You can’t be serious, a modern therapist? What a joke! What would one mortal know of me that I don’t already know of myself. No, there has to be another way.” Armand knew what was wrong with him, why he acted the way he did. His willingness to admit them out-loud and bring it all to the surface, after all of this time, was another beast entirely._ _ _ _

____The boy sighed, “I’m as serious as I’ve ever been.” He stood up and headed for the door; he had steeled himself for an outcome such as this, but it still hurt all the same. Hand on the doorknob, Armand called out from behind him._ _ _ _

____“Daniel! You would really leave me that easily, after all we’ve done together?” The fear of being alone again struck Armand suddenly, there was no taking it back now._ _ _ _

____He turned around, trying his very best to remain firm and not get misty eyed, “I’ve spent a month deciding that I would rather be alone, than be with someone who can’t see their wrongs and decide to right themselves. You need help, serious help, and I wouldn’t make you go through this alone. But I refuse to sit idly by and wait for the day you finally lose it with me. That’s no way to be in love with someone, no way to survive an eternity.”_ _ _ _

____“I would never treat you that way, I love you.”_ _ _ _

____Daniel began to cry, his voice starting to crack, “I love you too, that’s why I’m leaving. If you decide to help yourself, maybe we can meet again.”_ _ _ _

____With that he was gone, Armand being left in the house enveloped in his regret and Daniel back on the street. Lestat hadn’t really moved from his post, although upon waiting for Daniel’s cry for help he had heard a bulk of the conversation. He’d never say it to him, but he knew this would happen._ _ _ _

____They met at the end of the street and pulled each other into a silent embrace. Daniel wasn’t sobbing, but wracked in the short breaths one takes on when grieving. He knew he wasn’t alone, but he had lost his one direction through his new confusing life. A fledgeling losing a maker could have the same impact as the death of a parent. More than that, he had lost the one his heart ached for. Lestat took the lead in walking them home, gently taking Daniel by the arm and walking slowly so he had a chance to let it all out before eventually passing out at home._ _ _ _

____Louis said nothing when they walked in, for he already knew what the outcome of this meeting would be. He had tried a similar course of action in the seventies that led to Armand being so offended, they didn’t speak for ten years._ _ _ _

____Over the next week, Lestat and Louis made the guest room up just for Daniel. Buying replacements of almost everything he owned, which wasn’t a lot nor hard to do. Lestat had the pleasure of taking him shopping for clothes and getting him out of his dated wardrobe. Buying him anything that he even so much as glanced at and any ridiculously pricey item he joked about owning. The vintage records he had were easily found elsewhere and all of his prized possessions were recovered via the mail. Armand had no choice but to send over anything Daniel for asked, it was hard letting them go, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter._ _ _ _

____Lestat and Louis didn’t mind the extra company around, this entire endeavor had brought them all much closer than they were before. They were their own little coven, fighting only about what to watch on TV and Daniel’s incessant snoring._ _ _ _

____They all could breathe again, truly breathe, for the first time in what felt like a hundred years._ _ _ _


	8. Turning Over A New Leaf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months go by with no word from Armand, until a letter from him turns up for Daniel.

Daniel flourished in the months that followed his separation from Armand. He could explore what it meant to be a vampire without a hawk-like gaze following him and judgments on the way he spoke. The longing for him never went away though, at night he would catch his thoughts wandering away from him and back to Armand. He hated it and tried his hardest to make himself forget, but drugs didn’t work the same way as they did when he was alive. So, much to his new roommates surprise, Daniel took up reading. The manor’s expansive library made it an easy habit to feed, he could spend entire nights wrapped up in over three books at once. 

The group rarely fed together, preferring some sense of boundaries given their close quarters and intimate emotional connection. That didn’t stop Lestat and Daniel however from absorbing themselves in the San Francisco night life. It gave Louis a break from Lestat’s well-intentioned clinginess and Daniel a chance to spend time with the living. He understood that he was dead in almost every usage of the word, but he was also barely five years old in the vampiric sense. Going out and partying just as hard as he did when he was alive, with none of the consequences, was thrilling for him still.

Coming home from a night on the town, a letter left under the porch light caught Daniel’s attention. The wax seal on the back and artful calligraphy eluding any kind of mystery as to who it was from. Lestat saw it at the same time, turning to Daniel to read his expression. It was blank and almost every nerve in his body was telling him to rip it in two. He didn’t though, going against his instincts and bringing the letter into the house. 

“Oh, you’ve finally decided to come home. I was beginning to think Lestat took you two off to Paris without me.” Louis laughed as he came out of the library, a copy of _‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ _under his arm.__

____

Lestat greeted him with a kiss, taking the book from him and reading the last line bookmarked out-loud, “Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there is something tragic.” He rolled his eyes and handed the book back to him, “Must you read things so melancholy and dull my love?” 

____

Louis put on a face of false hurt, “Dull? That just proves you’ve never gotten to the end. One of these nights I’m sure you’ll get there.” He chuckled and looked over to Daniel, who was still fixated on the letter in his hand, “What’s that Daniel?” 

____

“It’s a letter from Armand.” There was no emotion in his voice as he picked at the wax seal with his fingernails, still playing with the idea of reading what was inside. “Fuck it.” He tore open the envelope and discarded it on the floor.  


_My dearest Daniel,_

__

_I’ve spent the last few months of your absence working on myself quite extensively. I started going to therapy and I’m so sorry that I told you I’d never try. It’s been incredibly eye-opening and has changed me in more ways than one. You have no reason whatsoever to agree, but I wish to prove that to you. Please call me when you receive this, if you don’t and wish to have nothing to do with me, I understand._

____

__

____

___Best Regards,  
Armand. _  
__

__Lestat and Louis waited silently while Daniel read the letter several times over, pacing sometime after the third read. He walked absentmindedly into the den, the pair following close behind and watching cautiously as he sat down on the couch. Lestat picked the letter out of his light grasp and read it, Louis looking over his shoulder and following along. They were both utterly shocked but kept it well hidden from their faces and their thoughts guarded.__

____

__

____

___“What do I do? I told him that if he ever helped himself, we might talk again and it looks like he actually did it.” Daniel drew his knees to his chest and stared at the patterns of the rug._ _ _

____

___Louis sat down next to him and rubbed his back, Lestat still looking at the letter in disbelief, “Do you still love him?”_ _ _

____

___“I’m still the same idiot I was then, so of course I love him.”_ _ _

____

___“Do you think he deserves another chance?” Louis was serious, looking deep into him with his emerald eyes and silently demanding full honesty. He had a way about him that made you pour your soul out without really meaning to, he never judged._ _ _

____

___Daniel sighed and held out his hand for the letter to read it over again, “I don’t think we can be together again in the way he probably hopes. But if he’s really tried to change, I think the least I can do is let him try and show me.”_ _ _

____

___Lestat sat down at Daniel’s other side, “I’ve never known that little shit to try and change for anyone, so I hate to say it, but I think you should call him.”_ _ _

____

___“Really?” The boy hadn’t expected Lestat to approve so quickly, if at all. Especially since he mentioned killing Armand so casually and so frequently._ _ _

____

___The blonde shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his hands together, “Honestly, best case scenario you two come to some sort of agreement relationship wise; worse case scenario I burn down his house and you get the horror of still staying with us.”_ _ _

____

___Louis leaned over Daniel and smacked Lestat hard on the arm, “Will you stop that! This is a serious decision, not time for plots of arson!_ _ _

____

___“Alright alright! What I meant to say is, that I think that this would be a good time to see what he’s improved on. If you don’t like it, you can always come back and stay with us.”_ _ _

____

___Daniel watched through the large window the night quickly coming to an end, the darkness of the sky bleeding into different shades of blue and violet. “I’m going to sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning, I don’t want to do something right now just out of impulse.” Daniel stood up and stretched, saying his goodnights before retreating into his bedroom and falling asleep just as the sun peaked over the horizon._ _ _

____

___Throughout his sleep he tossed and turned incessantly, dreaming only of what it meant to see Armand again. What did he mean by therapy being eye-opening? Was it all just a ploy to get him back? He didn’t know, but deep down his yearning to see Armand again was just too great; and Lestat was right. Worst case scenario, this truly would be the end for them. By the time he awoke the following night, Daniel had made up his mind._ _ _

____

___The least he could do was give him a final chance, he said that he would._ _ _

____

___Both of his housemates were accepting of his decision, keeping their own trepidations and comments to themselves. With how many times they had both fallen apart and come together again, they had come to the conclusion that they were in no position to judge._ _ _

____

___Daniel picked up the house phone and dialed Armand’s number, hesitating for only a beat before pressing the green “call” button. The redhead had been waiting by the phone since he saw the mail-carrier take the letter from the mailbox. He answered after only two rings._ _ _

____

___“Hello? Armand speaking.”_ _ _

____

___“Hey Armand, I got your letter and I’d like to see you again, tonight. Only, somewhere public this time.”_ _ _

____

___“Daniel, it’s so lovely to hear your voice again. We can certainly meet somewhere public, do you have any place specific in mind?”_ _ _

____

___He thought for a moment of all the places close to the house he could remember the address of. It took him long enough to elicit a “Hello?” from Armand over the receiver._ _ _

____

___“Sorry, just thinking. Take this address down…”_ _ _

____

____“Oh! I know this place, it’s a great choice. See you within the hour?” He sounded excited and happier than Daniel remembered.  
  
“No problem, see you then.” 

__

____

__

___Daniel hung up the phone and walked back into the den where Lestat and Louis were fully engrossed in a movie, pausing it immediately when they heard him walk in. Lestat started to stand up, preparing to go wherever Daniel led them. He’d become used to aiding Daniel in whatever he wanted to do, both out of enjoyment and in protection, it’d become a habit._ _ _

__

____

__

___“No, no keep watching your movie don’t fuss. We’re going somewhere public this time and if he’s really changed as he said he has, I’ll be perfectly fine.” Daniel started to put on his jacket and pat Lestat on the shoulder, pushing him gently back in his seat from behind the couch._ _ _

__

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___Louis reached out for him, tugging Daniel by his sleeve into an awkward hug from his seat, “I wish you all the best and just remember that you have your very own attack dog waiting in the wings.”_ _ _

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___Lestat scoffed, “Darling lion is literally in my name, that would’ve been a much better comparison.”_ _ _

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___“Well excuse me, Mr. Attack _Lion _.” Louis pulled him by his shirt collar into an affectionate kiss.___ _ _

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_____The boy turned on his heels and waved from the door, “Alright lovebirds, I’m outta here!”_ _ _ _ _

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_____His jacket was more for style than anything else, summers in California didn’t warrant such attire. He thought he looked cool though, leather to him suited his new lifestyle more than a sweat-jacket. The cafe Louis and Lestat went for their dates wasn’t a far walk away; coming up at the bottom of a precarious hill and being the only light besides the residencies nearby. He could see Armand sitting at a small table outside, two cups of coffee in front of him and looking listlessly off into the stars. Nerves came into his gut, not out of fear, but in anxiety._ _ _ _ _

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_____It looked more like the scene of a date than a desperate attempt at rekindling._ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel came up behind him and sat down, not alerting Armand’s physical attention until his knee knocked into the leg of the metal table. Armand’s face upon seeing him opened up into a huge smile that Daniel had never seen before. It reached his eyes, making his rock-solid skin crinkle slightly around his lips._ _ _ _ _

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_____“You look wonderful, truly. I’ve missed seeing you, Daniel.” Armand put his hand on the table, not asking for Daniel’s in return but keeping the invitation open._ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel looked down at the coffee-cup in front of him, swirling it around slightly like wine before smelling it. Armand watched him in amazement, it had felt like so long since he’d last seen him, it was just like the first time. “It’s just coffee with milk and no sugar. I was tempted to get this ‘Dulce de Leche’ avalanche the barista suggested, but I know you hate bull-shit in your coffee, to use the vernacular.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____The boy chuckled and took a sip, savoring the warmth stretching itself into his limbs. Armand was eager to delve into conversation, watching anxiously at every sip Daniel took until he was satisfied. This was, on his terms after all, and he saw no need to rush towards what would prove to be emotional for them both._ _ _ _ _

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_____He could see that he was torturing him though and placed his cup gently on the table before folding his hands and leaning back, “So, you’ve been going to see someone? What made you decide to do that? I thought that no mortal would know you, better than you.” It was petty and Armand cringed at hearing his own words._ _ _ _ _

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_____“Well, after watching you leave I knew that I regretted what I said almost immediately. But I knew that if I ever tried to see or contact you first,” Armand laughed, “Lestat would surely tear my head from my body and go and have a drink the same night.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel took another quick sip of his drink, craving its warmth, “Yeah, he did talk a whole lot about creative ways to kill you if you tried. Smart thinking.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____The thought made Armand smile, not being murdered, but the fact in these last few months one of his oldest…friends, had grown to hate him so much. He had always been dully fond on Lestat himself and it was a shame that he had ruined things seemingly beyond repair._ _ _ _ _

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_____“Either way, I thought about what you said for days. I couldn’t eat or really even sleep unless my body forced me too. I was wrecked, rightfully so, and had no one to talk to. I think that was my ‘rock bottom’ as they call it. So, I found the only therapist who would take me past sunset; a Dr. Jacobs. I pay her a considerable amount to be available at the hour I require and she’s under the impression that I’m an insomniac.” This made them both laugh so loud it alerted the barista washing up inside the cafe._ _ _ _ _

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_____“In the beginning I wasn’t receptive to anything she said, took any suggestion as if it were an attack,” Armand continued, “But overtime, it started to get to me. The things she said became more and more accurate and eventually I was comfortable enough to share openly without being asked. It’s hard, really really hard, and each session brings up more than the last. I’ve reached a place though, where I can talk about it all without breaking down, and I thought you deserved an explanation.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel listened intently, taking everything Armand was saying in completely. His entire demeanor had changed; typically furrowed brows remained even, his shoulders were relaxed and he was noticeably, just calm. The gaze of his unshakable predatory nature was no more, his eyes were soft and warm and Daniel couldn’t look too long without feeling creepy. Armand spoke matter-of-factly and with palpable honesty. He didn’t have to vocalize his change, it was visible._ _ _ _ _

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_____“You really don’t have to tell me, I can see it.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Armand grabbed his hand, not firm or pressing, but with affection, “I’m glad you can see it, but I need to tell you everything. It’s something Dr. Jacobs suggested I do; so you understand as well and so I don’t have to keep it all to myself. This is not for a means of sympathy, I know I’ve done you all wrong.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____He could see Armand in pain, it was similar to how Louis looked explaining his own pain that horrible weekend months ago. This worried him considerably and he squeezed his hand as a means to continue._ _ _ _ _

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_____Armand opened his mouth and began, the memories dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Daniel listened in silent shock at the details of Armand’s long and complicated life.The things he had experienced were humiliating and painful and the slew of all it in one existence could’ve brought him to tears. So many people were cruel to him, both of mortal and vampiric nature. It no longer escaped him as to why Armand was the way that he was, the very building blocks of his life were surrounded by cruelty. No one had taught him how to love, let alone how to express it._ _ _ _ _

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_____“…I had suppressed these things so far I had almost mistaken them for bad dreams rather than my reality. My lack or want to understand myself and my life before now caused me to act and treat others so horridly; I realize that now.” Armand looked into Daniel’s eyes, pressing into him enough to drive his final point home, “It’s no excuse for what I’ve done to everyone over the course of my life and I expect no forgiveness. But, I love you and my therapist says that we should be truthful with the ones we hold the closest. In time, I hope that Louis and Lestat allow me the opportunity to speak to them again. I’ve known them for longer than anyone else, but neither hold such a place in my heart as you.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel bathed in the intensity of the moment, hearing how important he was to Armand affirmed something in him that he had always craved; the feeling of being needed. He had made the biggest change in his long, painful life because Daniel asked him to. It made him smile, as hard as it had been, Armand did what was needed of him for this to work._ _ _ _ _

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_____“I’m so proud of you, you’ve come so far.” Daniel gave a small clap that made them both chuckle, lightening the mood around them. “Truly, if it wasn’t for that face I wouldn’t recognize you.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____The light mood didn’t last, Armand returning to that piercing gaze, “I know this is most likely imposing and a minute issue-”_ _ _ _ _

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_____“We’re here to talk, don’t be afraid.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Armand sighed, “What do you want us to be? I don’t expect you to want to be with me anymore in our original sense. But, I can’t think of my life without you in it in some small way.” He smiled again, “Even if that means just taking the mail from the mailbox and bringing it to the door.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____The boy sat and thought for a moment, as the question had been on his mind for months. His tendency to forgive too quickly and welcome the beast in before the taming was not lost on him. This beast however, was tamed not only by time but also through efforts of his own will. Armand was a different immortal than the one that threw a glass at Lestat’s head. He bore that new identity proudly and unconsciously, it coming brightly from the inside out. Boundaries were of a new importance as well, Daniel had worked so hard to establish lines in the sand that going right back to business as usual would destroy them entirely._ _ _ _ _

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_____“We are Armand and Daniel, two immortals that share a history and postal code. We’ve met at this coffee shop, to do what those that like eachother do; catch-up and laugh. ”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Armand cocked an eyebrow playfully, “Hello Daniel the fellow immortal, nice to see you again.” He extended his hand for a handshake._ _ _ _ _

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_____“Hello Armand, fellow immortal, I’ve missed talking to you.” They shook hands and tried to hold back laughter._ _ _ _ _

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_____The coffee was cold and the sky began to shift, bringing their meeting to a steady halt. They walked side by side up the hill back to Daniel’s house, chatting about books he’s read recently and Armand’s new tastes in modern music. Armand refused politely to walk him up the driveway to the door, not wanting to impose on Lestat and Louis’ personal space. They turned to one another, both flirting with the idea of a hug but neither wanting to push the gesture._ _ _ _ _

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_____“I’m so glad you called me, that we could talk. I appreciate you giving me another chance.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____Daniel punched him lightly on the shoulder, “I’m glad you finally listened to me for once!”_ _ _ _ _

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_____They both laughed loudly, alerting the attention of Lestat from his bedroom upstairs, who pulled back the curtains and silently watched their exchange._ _ _ _ _

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_____Armand rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes you were right! Dr. Jacobs says that it’s smart to take another’s advice even when you’re nervous, sometimes they know you better than you do yourself.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____“She sounds like a smart woman, I’d love to meet her.”_ _ _ _ _

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_____“I’d like that very much, very much indeed.” They exchanged humble goodbyes, Armand watching from the sidewalk as Daniel closed the door behind him._ _ _ _ _

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	9. Swing to the Rhythm of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Occurring while Daniel meets with Armand, Louis is finally ready to take a huge step in his relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by: "Rhythm of Love" by the Plain White T's 
> 
> The next chapter is the last one! I've had a great time writing this story, so give me some time to wrap things up and give a proper goodbye to my idiots. :)

They were too wrapped up in their kiss to hear the sound of the door closing behind Daniel. They were alone, just the two of them, for the first time in a while. The light was starting to return to Louis’ eyes again, his laugh grew louder and the memories started to fade away, leaving room for newer and better ones. Affections had been spread out as of late though, Lestat giving him the space that he required to recover from recent events. Typically this would irritate him and cause him to become more clingy, suggestively throwing himself on furniture to gather Louis’ attention. Those days had since passed him however, and now it was the time to ‘act his age’ so to speak.

Louis realized their current circumstance first, pulling Lestat deeper into their kiss and eventually releasing him only when he needed to breathe, “Do you hear that?” 

Lestat turned his head, quickly going on the offensive, “No, why?” Despite putting his petty nature behind him, he was still just as protective as he had ever been; if not more so. 

“Exactly.” Louis laughed, pulling Lestat down on top of him and kissing his neck. 

Although this excited him considerably, Lestat also became worried. He had read some modern articles about recovering from these sort of events, and he didn’t want to take it a step too far. He leaned into the kiss all the same, allowing Louis to take the lead and directing him as to what he wanted. The TV remote hit the floor with a loud bang and startled them both, causing a break in the rising heat of the room. 

Lestat looked down at him and brushed away some dark stray hairs covering his eyes, “Are you sure that you want to do this? I just want you to be comfortable, don’t think that you have to just because of me.” 

Louis was touched by this gesture of affirmation; Lestat’s never-ending patience had overall been very surprising to him. He had been preparing himself for so long for a negative reaction, even going to the lengths of outright rejection. How far they had come in their relationship in these recent weeks alone filled him with such a sense of safety, he didn’t know what to do with it. He was an emotional creature, often making himself the weaker one without trying. His personal power was slowly returning to him and in this moment, all he wanted to do was be with the one who had showed him a new way to love. Showed him that it was ok to break down and lean on others for support.

This was what he wanted, more than anything. 

“We may only have tonight and until the sun rises, you’re all mine. I want to make the most of that opportunity, would you please?” He gestured to the hem of his shirt and moved Lestat’s hands so he would late it off. 

Lestat hesitated for a second, his heart beating like a drum and looking into his eyes for a sign of desperation or apprehension. He found none and complied, taking off Louis’ shirt and basking in his form. He had seen this body many times before, both accidentally and on purpose. But this time was different, in the light of the candles, his skin practically glowed. He was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and in that moment, Lestat knew he could never love another this intensely again. 

His kisses started at Louis’ hips, the frigidness of his lips causing him to gasp. Lestat slowly worked his way up to his stomach, and then to his shoulders; one hand reaching up to caress the side of his face. They met at the mouth, Louis tracing the words ‘I love you’ on Lestat’s back. 

“You’re beautiful.” He was breathless and in awe of him, every touch pulling them closer. 

Louis shifted slightly and stood up, holding out his hand expectantly and looking to him, “As are you my love, now come on. I wouldn’t want Daniel walking in on us.” 

As if under a spell, Lestat took his hand and followed. He was led to their bedroom, the heavy velvet curtains were drawn back and bathed the room in the blue glow of the moon. Their bed had almost never been used, only having a purpose when one of them needed a moment alone or to use the opulent bathroom. Louis sat down, still holding onto Lestat’s hand and kissed his knuckles. 

“Is this something you want as well? I would like you to be equally as willing as I am.” Louis whispered, gently tugging at him to sit down on the bed at his side.

He didn’t have to think very hard, now was as perfect of a time as there ever could be. It’s as though his dreams had come alive. “It would be my honor to share such a moment with you, mon cherie.” 

With that Louis pulled him into another deep kiss, throwing the decorative pillows to the floor and Lestat falling on top of him. They made quick work of what remained of their clothes, tossing them haphazardly to the floor along with the satin pillows. It had occurred to Lestat as he gazed over Louis’ now naked body that this was to be the first time they were seriously intimate. Subtle nerves got to him all of a sudden; what if it was not what Louis expected of him? What would come of such a disappointment? 

Louis watched the thoughts dance across his face, Lestat had never been able to hide his worry very well. He leaned up on his elbows and placed their foreheads together, “Remember, this is my first time as well and believe me, I don’t really know what to do either.” They both laughed, “But, we will learn together and maybe one day get really good at it.” 

This eased Lestat’s worry slightly, it made him feel better that there was no expectation of him to be perfect. He retracted to get into a comfortable position, explaining to Louis everything that he was doing so he wouldn’t be surprised or confused. When he was relaxed and fully at ease, they joined together and became one. It was immediately an incredibly emotional experience for them both. Louis felt liberated, sharing with Lestat this once hidden and shamed piece of himself had given him a small sense of closure. Taking a huge step not only in the building up of their relationship, but also in the rebuilding of himself. 

Lestat had been with others in the past, both as a mortal and as a vampire. None of those encounters however compared to how he felt right now. In the past it was empty, something always missing when it was all said and done. They would leave or something would inevitably go wrong in whatever relationship formed after, making it at end of the day almost meaningless. He knew with each touch and every motion, Louis was his true partner for life; however long that proved to be. 

He was scared of hurting Louis or doing something wrong, so he would slow down and ask almost incessantly if he was ok or needed a break. He was perfectly fine however, vocally expressing his enjoyment so that the stopping ultimately became unnecessary. He was comfortably losing himself in the moment and told Lestat so. 

When they both finished, they laid in each others arms, Lestat holding Louis close to his chest and playing with his hair. Although the day wasn’t yet creeping up on them, Louis was slowly drifting into mortal sleep. 

He turned his head to side, eyes almost completely closed but trying his hardest to look at Lestat, “I love you, more than anything.” 

Lestat smiled and kissed each of his now fully shut eyes, “I love you too, thank you for trusting me.” 

Soon after, Louis had completely fallen asleep; taking most of the covers for himself and using Lestat as a heating pad. He spent the next hour just looking at him; watching the way his nose crinkled when his inky black hair got too close to lips and how he murmured in sleep. Small things that usually went unseen and unheard in the darkness of their shared coffin.The light of the moon made Louis look like a ghost, prompting Lestat to hold him tighter in worry he would fade away.

His senses peaked all of a sudden, the sound laughter taking him from his romantic haze. He carefully unwrapped himself from Louis, placing a small kiss on his temple and stepping silently to the window. Drawing back the curtain, he watched Armand and Daniel at the end of the driveway and tried his hardest to resist listening in. Daniel sensed him and promptly ignored him, finishing his conversation and walking to the front door. Armand still stood there though, seeing Lestat in the window and shyly waving before turning and walking away. 

Lestat did not return the wave and closed the curtains with a huff. He picked up his pants from the floor, watching Louis mumble something about a car in his sleep and kick at nothing. As quietly as he could, he walked to the door and blew an unseen kiss before gently easing it shut. 

Daniel was sitting in the library when Lestat found him, deep in thought and lost in whichever of his books caught his fancy. He knocked gently on the wall as not to startle him, though it did anyway. “May I sit?” Lestat waited and tried to get a read on how the night went based on Daniel’s movements. He wasn’t tense and the usual creases on his forehead that reappear from stress weren’t there. 

Daniel looked up from the final page of his book and put it aside, gesturing to the chair next to him with a smile, “Yeah sure,” He chuckled as Lestat sat down, making him raise an eyebrow, “You’re not very discreet you know, I saw you watching us before.”

“Neither are you, that cackling practically shook the house!” Lestat pushed his shoulder playfully and looked him up and down, “I’m going to assume it all went well? I haven’t been demanded to get the matches so I would like to think so.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and smiled fondly when he thought about his evening, “It went great actually, he’s completely different. I told him if it wasn’t for that face I wouldn’t even recognize him.”

“Really? That’s surprising, to be candid I thought it was a rouse.” Lestat admitted, keeping a close eye still on Daniel’s gestures.

“So did I, but he really proved me wrong. He explained to me everything that’s happened to him, most of which was brought up again through therapy; it really filled in some gaps as to why he’s… like that. He knows that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness and honesty doesn’t expect it, but he’s willing to try again if I am.”

Lestat thought for a moment, he knew Armand’s past was dark and complicated; as were all of theirs in some way. Despite his own curiosities in the details, which were never fully discussed with him in the first place, he truthfully didn’t care. What was between Daniel and Armand was there’s alone and he respected that, but he still wanted Armand dead for his own reasons.

“You seem very happy, as did he, so are things back to normal between you two?” 

Daniel shook his head quickly, “Not in the least, but we still love each other; a lot. I explained it without really saying it and he got the hint, but we’re gonna take things slow. I think I’m going to call him tomorrow and ask if I can go to his next session with him.” It made him smile to say that they loved each other out loud, knowing now that it was reciprocated and not just a hope.

Lestat sighed and leaned over to pat Daniel lightly on the shoulder, “So, that means we’re still stuck with you? Shit, I already started packing up your stuff…oh well.” 

“Hey!” 

They broke out into a fit of giggles, waking Louis up with a start all the way across the house. He got out of bed mumbling, scanning the floor with his feet and eventually putting on Lestat’s shirt. After almost falling down the stairs, he reached the library and had to shield his eyes from what he perceived to be overly bright lights. Daniel looked over, still laughing and taking quick notice of Louis’ less than typically glamorous appearance and respectfully looking away.  
  
_“I see we had our own plans while I was out.” _The boy teased silently to Lestat, who stood up and walked to Louis’ side.__  


Lestat looked over his shoulder, _“You should go out more.” _  
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___“Do you have any idea- oh hi Daniel - do you two have any idea what time it is? It’s close to dawn! Everyone, get in bed right now before we end up like the opossums.” Louis grumbled, grabbing Lestat by his wrist and waving weakly to Daniel, who was trying his best to suppress a childish giggle._ _ _

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___Daniel had loved living with them both, it had been the best days of his immortal life thus far. But he had realized the walls of the manor had grown too thin. The two of them needed just as much, if not more, privacy than he did. He spent the time before the sleep hit him thinking of the future and what he was to do now, he was growing antsy in the manor. His friends would always have an open door for him, but he was tired of feeling like a houseguest; he wanted something of his own._ _ _

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___Lestat and Louis, all though they would never say it, were also growing weary of being hosts. They loved Daniel and he was always to remain important to them, but San Francisco had proved to be more than they really wished to deal with. Both emotionally and in actuality, their lives had become majorly chaotic in their time spent here. A break was desperately needed, the city they so adored had bled them dry. They wanted to get away, the nomadic nature of their souls dragging them in a new, more familiar direction._ _ _

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___Home._ _ _

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	10. Goodnight, San Francisco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel establishes a fort of his own, his relationship Armand slowly repairing itself in his new found autonomy. Lestat and Louis decide where their next adventure is to be, choosing to kiss San Francisco goodbye and return to where it all began. Making just one final stop before their departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter yet, ending probably my favorite thing that I've written thus far. Thank you everyone for reading and inspiring me to write something completely different than originally planned. I'm gonna go cry about these four idiots now bye.

Daniel moved the following month, autumn settling itself into the city with a chilling breeze and the fog steadily rolling in. Orange did San Francisco well and it was an almost symbolic parting; Daniel was sure there was a metaphor somewhere. He had chosen a house on the marina, nothing to either of Lestat or Louis’ overzealous tastes, but it felt like home to him. He wasn’t extensively rich like his counterparts, although Armand hadn’t been shy about spoiling him when they first started going together. Putting that money to good use, he finally could say that he had something of his own. 

On move-in day, Lestat refused to let anyone besides themselves help out, it wasn’t like there was much to move anyway. Everything he owned was in one room, Lestat assured him though that he had a guy in almost every city that could make whatever he asked of them. Daniel tried to be humble, but he also desperately needed a couch.

Louis placed the final box labeled, ‘Extra Shit’, in Lestat’s piss-poor handwriting on the floor of what was to be the living room. He was happy to no longer be sharing walls with someone who could read his thoughts; but at the same time, he would miss his reading companion. 

“Is that everything?” He sounded sad, not being able to hide the telltale melancholy from his face. 

Daniel sighed and walked over to Louis, pulling the ever emotional immortal into a hug, “Yes, that’s everything. Don’t look so sad, I’m only a phone-call away!” 

“I suppose you’re-“

Lestat burst through the front door, singing _‘You’re My Best Friend’ _by Queen at the top of his lungs; holding a bottle of red wine in one hand and three glasses in the other, “What’s with the sour pusses my loves? This is a time of great celebration!”__

__Louis turned to him, trying his best to show his casual upset that ultimately went ignored, “And what exactly are we celebrating?”_ _

__“Why the end of Daniel’s snoring of course! What a joyous day indeed!” Lestat took a swig from the bottle and ran, the boy promptly burst out into hysterics and started to chase him around the house._ _

__Of course Daniel never caught him and at Louis’ heavy persistence, they sat like gentlemen on the floor of the dining room; passing the bottle full of blood between them._ _

__They tried their hardest to keep the mood light, exchanging memories and funny moments they shared in their time together. Consciously of course, scooting around its unfortunate beginning.  
  
In truth, what was salvaged of the relationship between Lestat, Louis and Armand was in the end not worth keeping. The pair adamantly wanting nothing to do with the redhead and who overtime, through his own growth, had learned to accept this. It hurt Armand a great deal to have lost two of, what he called one evening in therapy, “the most compassionate individuals he had ever known.” 

__The comment was almost laughable to Daniel, but he had learned to be supportive nonetheless. He had started attending therapy with Armand on an every-other week basis. The sessions helped them better understand not only each other, but how to improve as individuals through one another. They still weren’t in a committed relationship however, Daniel still needing time to see Armand change as a person. There were many centuries between them and many actions that still needed to be discussed._ _

__Daniel remained hopeful though, things were finally going his way and he woke up happier each and every night._ _

__“Remember when I taught Lestat how to use the garbage disposal and he spent the entire night seeing what would break it?” Daniel took a swig of the bottle, the glasses going completely unused. “What did actually end up breaking it?”_ _

__Louis burst out laughing, “The television remote!”_ _

__“I remember that horrid sound like it was yesterday, thank God we’ll never see that kitchen again…” Lestat took a sip from the bottle, eyes going wide when he realized what he had said._ _

__Daniel was confused and sat up on his knees, “Why wouldn’t you see the kitchen again? I mean, it’s not like we used it much anyway.” He laughed nervously, “You guys going somewhere or something?”_ _

__Lestat and Louis shared a quick glance, they had meant to tell him earlier but they were having such a good time and didn’t want to dampen the mood. Louis cleared his throat and took Daniel’s hands, “Well, we’ve been talking and we’ve decided to go back to our home in New Orleans.”_ _

__“What? Why?” Daniel was visibly upset, perhaps selfishly. He wanted a place of his own, but he didn’t want to actually _be _alone.___ _

____Lestat looked into the boys sad eyes and spoke slowly,“A lot of things have happened during our stay here, many wonderful things. But, the not-so wonderful things have taken their toll on us. We need to rest, desperately, and New Orleans is our true home; we simply stay other places. She’s calling to us and it’s time for us to return to her.”_ _ _ _

____“We know you’re safe now, we wouldn’t be leaving if you weren’t.” Louis pulled Daniel into a tight hug, “It’s time to take the training wheels off my darling, go and live. You’ve got to get good at it and practice makes perfect.”_ _ _ _

____Lestat gathered them up into a group hug, the good times passing through them wordlessly and the bad ones being kicked to the curb. This change of circumstance had altered them all in inconceivable ways, each sitting in front of the other as new individuals. They had learned to love, how to lose and how to get back up again with the help of one-another. Their companionship was to outlast the decades, there was no doubt in them about that._ _ _ _

____Soon after, Louis and Lestat gathered their things and kissed Daniel goodbye, “Remember, we’re only one ring away.” Louis wrote down the number of their New Orleans manor and placed the slip of paper in the moving box labeled ‘Important Shit’._ _ _ _

____“And also remember,” Lestat lifted Daniel off of his feet and spun him in a dramatic hug, “Two trained arsonists are also one ring away.” His tone was serious, but he played it off with a cheeky grin._ _ _ _

____“Lestat!”_ _ _ _

____“I’m sorry!” He put Daniel down and walked backwards towards the door mouthing, “I’m not sorry” and smiling, giving a wave before finally heading outside._ _ _ _

____Louis blew a singular kiss goodbye, “It’s been an honor my darling, best of luck.” and then they were gone._ _ _ _

____Not long after their departure, there was a knock on the door. He hadn’t been expecting anyone, so he immediately slipped into what Lestat had affectionately called, ‘attack mode’. Opening the door quickly and expecting to attack, he paused mid-lunge when he realized it was just Armand._ _ _ _

____The smaller vampire laughed and walked right under Daniel’s outstretched arm, “If that’s how you greet all of your guests, you won’t become very popular.”_ _ _ _

____“Armand!” He smiled instinctively, “You should’ve told me you were coming, I would’ve cleaned up a bit.” Daniel looked around slightly embarrassed, the packing-peanut fight from earlier in the night was still all over the living room floor._ _ _ _

____Armand looked around as well and put a hand to his chin, “I don’t know Daniel, I think that the brown box and styrofoam look really works well in the space.”_ _ _ _

____“I think so too, wanna check out the chic style I call ‘nothing’ I decided would work well in the rest of the place?”_ _ _ _

____With that, Daniel led the grand tour of his fort; although there wasn’t much to show off. For what he paid to own it outright, it was a comfortable three bedroom, two bathroom house with a garden. Armand took quick note of its size, it’s not something he personally would’ve chosen; but Daniel beamed turning every corner. The pride he felt showed through his skin, it was present in his eyes and the way he talked about something as simple as the molding. If it made Daniel happy, Armand was equally as thrilled._ _ _ _

____The tour ended in what was to become the master bedroom, sharing a seat on the bench under the huge window looking over the water. The stars showed themselves boldly here, the city smog only present in a whisper. They danced in the sea, making the room a disco ball through the window panes. Armand watched Daniel watching the water, his violet eyes sparkling in the moon light._ _ _ _

____“I’m so happy you’re happy, that you’ve found a place of your own after all this time.” Armand devoted an entire therapy session to discussing Daniel living on his own. He had to teach himself how to accept Daniel not moving back in with him; in turn thinking of it as more of an opportunity to spend time with him in a place he was comfortable._ _ _ _

____Daniel looked over, Armand’s curious title of ‘Botticelli angel’ no longer eluding him, “What really sold this place for me was the extra bedrooms you know,” He hesitated, but eventually reached out and took Armand’s hand, “I’m gonna turn one into my library and the other I wanted to make a guest room; and with Louis and Lestat…traveling, it would really be for you more than anyone else.”_ _ _ _

____“Really?”_ _ _ _

____He nodded, brushing a lock of hair behind Armand’s ear, “Yeah, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sleepovers are like, really fun.”_ _ _ _

____They both laughed, still holding hands but looking back towards the water. Armand’s thoughts became lost in the moment, in how badly he had missed moments like this despite it still happening. Dr. Jacobs had made him realize so many painful things, the most prevalent being that he had been alive for so very long. In all of these years though, he had never experienced a love such as this. He had known it before, but foolishly taken it for granted and only realizing what he had when he had come dangerously close to losing it. With Daniel’s return, with his own growth, he had seen for the first time in this moment the kind of love he had truly been blessed with._ _ _ _

____He hadn’t realized it until Daniel touched his face, but he had begun to cry._ _ _ _

____“Hey, hey no tears on a good day. What’s wrong boss?”_ _ _ _

____Armand held Daniel’s hand to his face, basking in the touch which he had so dearly missed. “Nothing, this is all just so perfect. You have no idea how badly I’ve missed you, it means so much that you’d let me back into your life after all-“_ _ _ _

____Daniel put a finger to his lips, “Don’t mention it, this is what people that love eachother do. They take baby steps forward, and sometimes backward, until they’re finally steady on their feet.”_ _ _ _

____He didn’t show it in fear of worrying Armand, but Daniel had surprised himself. It was the first time they had mentioned loving eachother, although it really was no secret, aloud. Armand was equally as surprised at the statement. It was another topic in therapy, in which it had become fully known Armand’s need to not only be shown he is loved, but also told. It had become a big deal for them, waiting for the perfect moment to share that milestone._ _ _ _

____Scooting closer, Armand felt that tonight may be that perfect moment. Coming up to only his shoulders anyway, he made himself comfortable and leaned his head on Daniel._ _ _ _

____“I can work with baby steps.” He held up his foot, “I don’t have much of a choice anyway.”_ _ _ _

____Daniel laughed, bobbing the head now attached to him up and down which in turn made Armand laugh as well. The boy looked down at him, finding himself lost in the glint of his dark eyes and the way his hair moved when he laughed._ _ _ _

____“I love you.” He blurted out without thinking._ _ _ _

____Without missing a beat, Armand smiled and took Daniel’s face in his hands, “I love you too.”_ _ _ _

____They kissed for the first time in they couldn’t remember how long under the moonlight in Daniel’s empty bedroom. It was better than they had each remembered though, their new appreciation for each other meaning neither took more than what they were given. They couldn’t communicate by means of the mind, but everything they had wanted to say was fulfilled in their kiss. Every waned ‘I love you’ and desperate want for touch was told loud and clear, neither missing the unsaid yearning._ _ _ _

____Armand pulled away first, his eyebrows furrowed, “Is that blood I taste on your lips? Where did you get that from?; you’re pale as a ghost.”_ _ _ _

____“Um,” Daniel was still in a haze from the kiss, his now useless glasses askew on his face, “It was a housewarming gift from the Boys, a bottle of O positive I think? There’s some left if you wanted to share, they left the glasses.”_ _ _ _

____“You had me at O positive.” Armand dragged Daniel by the hand back downstairs into the dining room where they drank what was left from earlier; Armand sitting in Daniel’s lap and trying his best not to kiss him all over._ _ _ _

____Daniel took the final sip from his glass, “I love you.” He said casually, enjoying how it rolled off his tongue._ _ _ _

____“And I you.” Despite his best efforts, he kissed him again; licking what remained of the wine from his lips and curling himself against Daniel’s chest._ _ _ _

____They were going to be alright; it wasn’t just a hope to him anymore, but a truth._ _ _ _

____. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._ _ _ _

____After leaving Daniel’s house, Lestat and Louis strolled casually back to their own neighborhood. Pointing out small things, like the tree that had fallen over in a terrible storm last year and the suit shop Lestat loved so much. They stood finally in front of their house, a great Queen Anne that set itself apart from the modern homes surrounding it. Despite their need to get away from it all, they were certainly going to miss the house. It was still their’s of course, Lestat had instructed a trusted advisor to come by once a week to maintain it’s appearance_ _ _ _

____Lestat smacked his lips together, breaking the wistful silence, “I think that there’s one last place we have to say goodbye to, care for a drink?”_ _ _ _

____“We’ve fed already, you’re practically pink.”_ _ _ _

____He rolled his eyes and started to pull Louis away from the curb, “Not that kind of drink, I was feeling something slightly different.”_ _ _ _

____They walked down the large hill beside their house, Louis in his outlasting sadness still not catching on until he saw the bike shop and bookstore. His face lit up, looking to Lestat like a child in a toy store. The door was opened for him and the familiar scent of fresh coffee hit him square in the face. He loved this smell, it made him feel at ease; he was certainly going to miss it._ _ _ _

____“Hey you two! I haven’t seen you guys in a while!” The barista was equally as excited to see them, quickly fussing behind the counter to pour Louis his usual, “This is for you sir.”_ _ _ _

____Louis took his cup silently, smiling into the mug as he brought it to his lips, “Thank you mademoiselle, I truly will miss this.”_ _ _ _

____This confused the girl, looking to Lestat for an answer as Louis retreated to their usual spot in the corner, “Miss? Are you guys going somewhere?”_ _ _ _

____He sighed, “Well we’re going to be moving to Louisiana for a while, that’s where we’re from.”_ _ _ _

____“So that’s where the accents are from, are your folks back there?” She turned away from him as she asked to fix another one of her concoctions._ _ _ _

____“You could say something like that.”_ _ _ _

____In no longer than two minutes, a drink was placed in front of him in his favorite mug. The streamed milk almost sliding from the brim and hiding any and everything she had put in the drink. He cocked and eyebrow and brought it to his nose, staring at her with a look of supreme confidence._ _ _ _

____“Sweet cream…chocolate… and strawberry syrup?”_ _ _ _

____She clapped her hands loudly, startling Louis from the corner and spun around laughing, “No! Haha! I finally got you, it’s raspberry!” She stopped to face him and beamed with pride, “I call it the Bleeding Heart, when you drink all the way to the bottom I drew a heart with the syrup.”_ _ _ _

____Lestat put the mug back down on the counter and crossed him arms; he looked her up and down proudly before opening his arms to a hug, which she accepted, “And so it is, I’ve surely been beaten. You should be very proud of yourself, not many people can say it’s been done.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m really going to miss you guys, you made the closing shift a lot more interesting.”_ _ _ _

____He pulled away and sipped at the drink, “You’ve made our nights much more interesting as well, take care of yourself Sarah.”_ _ _ _

____Louis had watched the exchange and was smiling like a fool when Lestat took his usual seat in front of him. He looked over to the counter to make sure Sarah had gone into the backroom before speaking, “You knew it was raspberry, didn’t you?”_ _ _ _

____“Of course I did, but I wanted our last exchange to be that of her smiling and not sad at our leaving. I’ve grown quite fond of her and I couldn’t stand to see her upset, or worse, cry.” He took another slow sip from his drink, “Why are you looking at me like that?”_ _ _ _

____“Do you remember what you said when we came here for the first time and you saw her?” Louis’ face started to hurt from how large he was smiling, it was starting to bother Lestat._ _ _ _

____The memory struck him and he looked around before whispering, “Oh yes! I found her incredibly irritating and didn’t like the way that she laughed.” He dismissively waved his hand, “That was before she learned to make my coffee the way I decided I liked it and started to make good jokes. If she hadn’t caught on, I don’t think we’d be friends.”_ _ _ _

____“Be what?”_ _ _ _

____“You heard me, friends.”_ _ _ _

____Louis gasped and put on a dramatic face, “The great Vampire Lestat? Friends with a mortal? I never thought we’d see the day. I must get you out of this city at once, I hardly recognize you now!”_ _ _ _

____“Ha ha yes, you’re so funny darling.” He pushed their drinks aside gently and look Louis’ hands, pushing in his chair so they were as close together as possible, “You know, it takes being in the middle of total chaos to appreciate a moment such as this one. The peace, the lack of worry,” He gave Louis an eskimo kiss, “the love.”_ _ _ _

____Louis thought for a second, “I think a very smart man said that one can only appreciate peace when he’s seen true chaos. Finding it in a person and a place made him the luckiest of all”_ _ _ _

____“I’ve heard that as well, he must be a very smart fellow indeed.” Lestat put his hand behind Louis’ head, and pulled him in for a kiss._ _ _ _

____When they parted, Louis stood up and led them to the sofa that looked out over the empty street, leaving their mugs behind. He made himself comfortable on Lestat’s shoulder and held his hand while they watched the breeze gently take the leaves from the sweet bay tree. Although Lestat had his theory of ‘places of peace’, Louis in his own mind thought this to be heaven._ _ _ _

____Louis poked Lestat on his rib to take his attention from the scenery, “You know, we keep telling people New Orleans is our home, but I don’t really agree with that.”_ _ _ _

____“And why is that? It’s where we’re both from, give or take some technicalities.” He was confused and shifted to look down at Louis completely._ _ _ _

____He leaned up and slowly kissed Lestat where his brows creased together, “I personally have come to the conclusion that we’ve found a home in eachother. I meant it when I said it the first time; you are my home, I go where you go and I’d like to think vice versa would be equally as true.”_ _ _ _

____Louis came up from his shoulder, Lestat cupping his face and kissing him once again with everything he had. The barriers of physical affection between them had been completely broken down. They couldn’t get enough of one another, moments that they spent not in some sort of contact felt like an eternity._ _ _ _

____“I would travel the Earth forever if it meant I could do it with you, place and time completely irrelevant if it kept you by my side. You are more than my home Louis, you are my world.” He said this with no hint of a smile, being as serious as he could muster without the affection fading from his voice. Lestat had never meant something more in his entire life._ _ _ _

____This made his lover smile, it was not a surprising response but one that made him feel like a mortal teenager wrapped up in the love of another; as he had seen so often on modern television._ _ _ _

____“Let us travel the Earth then, starting first at the place where we had met and ending wherever the wind decides to take us. You are my time and my plans Lestat, lead me wherever you wish to go.”_ _ _ _

____The look that overcame Lestat’s face almost made him regret the last part. It was a look of longing and unabridged affection. This man would ruin him completely, if he hadn’t already and Lestat did not mind in the least. He rose from the couch and returned their mugs to the counter, leaving Sarah a $1000 check and the number for their home in New Orleans. Louis was waiting for him at the door, easing it open with his elbow and letting the cool evening air fill the room._ _ _ _

____Into the night they went, their last one in San Francisco before the jet flew them away this time tomorrow. It was a night of sweet sorrow, the memories hitting them both as they took the familiar way home and silently saying goodbye to everything they saw. Although they tried to assure everyone they would be coming back, neither had the real intention to do so. This was not a place built for them and feeling so out of place elicited more confusion than predicted excitement. The thought of returning to their motherland had made them both weep, that’s when they knew they had made the right choice._ _ _ _

____Coming to the base of their driveway, Lestat surprised Louis by gathering him into his arms like a bride and running full speed to the front door; stopping only as to not pass the threshold._ _ _ _

____Louis smacked his chest and adjusted his hair, “What the hell was that for? Put me down!” He made an attempt at struggling but Lestat held him firmly in place._ _ _ _

____“I think we might’ve left some things in the bedroom, we probably should go check before the movers come tomorrow.” He had a look in his eyes that made Louis shiver._ _ _ _

____“Oh yeah? We wouldn’t want to leave behind something important.”_ _ _ _

____“Hm.”_ _ _ _

____Louis kissed Lestat on his neck before indirectly shouting in his ear, “Godspeed then! The sun is soon to be upon us!”_ _ _ _

____With no more fears of ruining the paint, Lestat kicked the door in and nearly flew them upstairs, tossing Louis gently on the bed and closing the door, “You certainly know how to set the mood, this should be fun with only one working ear.”_ _ _ _

____Louis laughed while he took of his shirt, “Stop your whining and come kiss me already.”_ _ _ _

____In the time it took for Louis’ shirt to come off, Lestat was practically naked and walking towards him with that same look in his eyes, “You don’t have to ask me twice.”_ _ _ _

____They made love until the sun came up, only stopping once to close the thick curtains. Laying next to one another, they played with each others hair and waited for the sleep to hit them._ _ _ _

____Lestat buried his face in the crook of Louis’ neck and closed his eyes, “That was a hell of a way to say goodbye to the house; I haven’t been this tired in ages.”_ _ _ _

____“Just think of how tired you’ll be after we christen the house in New Orleans.” Louis smiled to himself at the sound of Lestat’s playful gasp._ _ _ _

____“Such things you say! I fear I’ve created a monster.”_ _ _ _

____Louis closed his eyes and mumbled as he felt the sun’s hold take him over, “That you did, a true Dr. Frankenstein of my own heart.”_ _ _ _

____The movers came the following night, leaving their ornate furniture behind and taking only the pieces they never went without. Their private jet took them away not long after sunset, champagne bottles going unopened and instead their carry-ons holding the true celebration. Passing their blood-flask between them, they watched as the jet took off into the sky and the city become a small spot of light amongst the clouds._ _ _ _

____Lestat smiled and took a large swig of the flask before holding it up to the fading city behind the glass, “Goodnight , San Francisco.”_ _ _ _


End file.
